San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade 

PAST  AND   FUTURE 


A  Story  of  the  Deep  Water  Service  of  San  Francisco, 
1848  to  1911. 

Effect  the  Panama  Canal  will  have  upon  it. 


BY    BENJ.    C.   WRIGHT 
Author  "Banking  in  California  1849-1910." 


A.  CARLISLE  &  CO. 

San  Francisco 

1911 


Copyrighted  in  1911.  By  Benj.  C.  Wright. 


3lb3 


INDEX 


Page 

An  appreciative  testimonial  5 

Golden   Gate   opened   to   commerce    6 

First  passenger  ship — Soldiers  arrive   6 

First  big  fleet  7 

First  steamer  in  the  Pacific   8 

Pacific  Coast  needs  recognized   8 

Big  steamship  contract  10 

Tribute  to  the  enterprise   11 

Pioneer  Pacific  fleet    12 

A  new  link  in  the  service  13 

Last  loop  of  memorable  trip   15 

An  enthusiastic  welcome   15 

First  voyage  ended  16 

Some  cases  of  gold  fever  17 

On  California  soil  at  last  20 

Commodities  and  values  20 

Large  buyers  of  cargoes   21 

The  California's  passengers  21 

Schedule  upset  ,. 23 

New  commander    23 

First  church  services   24 

Second  Pacific  Mail  steamer 25 

Prominent  passengers   25 

Third  Pacific  Mail  steamer  26 

First  year  under  mail  contract   27 

Fate  of  first  three  steamers  29 

The  other  three  steamers  29 

Gold  seekers  on  the  run   30 

Competition  on  Panama  route   31 

Second  year  in  Panama  trade  32 

Ship  of  State  launched   33 

Isthmus  service  increased   34 

Isthmus  passengers  for  third  year 36 

Tonnage  on  the  river  37 

Events  of  fourth  year   38 

Loss  of  North  America  38 

More  steamers  arrive  39 

Loss  of  Yankee  Blade  41 


ii  Index 

Page 

Other  changes  in  first  decade  42 

Slow  steamer  makes  fast  time   44 

Panama  railroad 44 

Suspension  of  San  Juan  service   47 

Numerous   Isthmus   lines    48 

Lull  in  steamer  movement  49 

Retirements  in  second  decade   50 

Turn  in  Pacific  Mail  affairs  51 

Larger  steamers  ordered   53 

First  iron  steamer  in  Mail  line   54 

Losses  in  Pacific  Mail  service   57 

Loss  of  the  San  Francisco  58 

Loss  of  the  Central  America  59 

Loss  of  the  Golden  Gate  59 

Other  disasters  in  the  line  61 

How  vessels  end  existence   64 

First  steam  line  to  China  65 

Pioneer  steamer  in  China  line 67 

Opposition  in  China  service  70 

British  line  for  the  trade   70 

Perils  in  the  trade   71 

Essentially  a  California  organization  73 

Change  in  the  management  73 

The  Big  Four  steamers  74 

Local  agents  Pacific  Mail  75 

Japanese  steam  line  75 

Steam  service  with  British  Columbia   76 

First  steam  collier   80 

Disaster  on  British  Columbia  route    83 

Loss  of  Brother  Jonathan    84 

Loss  of  Valencia   87 

Direct  steam  line  to  Mexico 87 

Steam  line  to  Hawaiian  Islands  91 

Steam  line  to  Australia   97 

Steam  line  to  Society  Islands  103 

Steam  line  to  South  America  105 

German  steam  line   107 

Around  the  world  line    109 

American-Hawaiian  line    110 

Tramp  steamer  line   115 

Dollar  Steamship  Company 119 


Index  iii 

Page 

California  and  Atlantic  line   120 

Pacific  Coast  steam  lines  121 

Steamers  in  sugar  trade  128 

Steamers  in  coal  trade 131 

Steamers  in  lumber  trade  132 

Steamers  in  wheat  trade 133 

Steamers  in  California  oil  trade  137 

Steamers  in  general  trade   141 

Steamers  in  whale  trade   142 

Tonnage  in  codfisheries    146 

Tonnage  in  the  salmon  fisheries 148 

Prom  forty-nine  to  eighty-six   149 

The  man  on  the  quarter  deck 153 

Freight  earnings  inward   161 

Freight  earnings  outward  161 

High  and  low  grain  charters  162 

Vessels  for  flour  and  grain   167 

Time  made  by  grain  fleet  168 

Ship's  time  in  port  170 

Ballast  ships  in  and  out   171 

Sources  of  sail  tonnage  173 

Some  valuable  cargoes 173 

Clipper  ships'  fast  time  175 

Arrivals  announced  177 

Steamer  day   177 

Merchants'  Exchange   178 

San  Francisco  Chamber  of  Commerce  179 

Shipbuilding  in  California 181 

The  bay  and  water  front  183 

Solid  rock  docks    186 

Ocean  tonnage  arrivals,  1848-1911   187 

Panama  Canal 187 

Compensations  of  the  Canal  189 

Other  ship  canals 191 

Panama-Pacific  Exposition   194 

Heavy  demand  for  American  ships   196 

Prominent  shippers,  past  and  present  196 

Future  of  American  marine    198 

United  States  Navy  at  Golden  Gate  200 

An  American  line  with  a  record  200 


Illustrations  of  the  Service. 

Scattered  through  the  book  will  be  found  a  number  of 
illustrations  of  steamers,  all,  with  one  exception,  being  now 
in  the  deep  water  trade  of  the  port. 

The  exception  is  the  sidewheeler  Golden  City,  4,000  tons, 
on  the  Panama  route  for  account  of  the  Pacific  Mail  Com- 
pany from  1863  to  1870,  when  she  was  wrecked  four  days 
out  from  this  port. 

The  twin  steel  screw  Siberia,  5,655  tons,  under  Captain 
Zeeder,  belonging  to  the  same  company,  has  been  in  the 
Oriental  trade  since  1902. 

The  twin  steel  screw  Governor,  2,400  tons,  built  in  1901, 
is  in  the  coast  trade  of  the  Pacific  Coast  Steamship  Com- 
pany. 

The  steel  screw  Isthmian,  3,643  tons,  built  at  the  Union 
Iron  Works  in  1908,  belongs  to  the  American-Hawaiian 
Company,  and  is  in  the  direct  trade  with  domestic  Atlantic 
ports. 

The  steel  screw  Wilhelmina,  4,400  tons,  built  in  1909,  is 
in  the  Honolulu  sugar  trade  for  account  of  the  Matson 
Navigation  Company. 

The  iron  screw  Mariposa,  1,939  tons,  owned  by  the 
Oceanic  Steamship  Company,  is  performing  a  36-day  service 
with  the  Society  Islands. 

The  steel  screw  Tenyo  Maru,  7,265  tons,  built  in  Japan 
in  1908,  and  owned  by  the  Toyo  Kisen  Kaisha,  is  in  the 
Oriental  trade. 

Representative  steamers  in  the  oil  export  trade  are  the 
steel  screw  Niagara,  4,400  tons,  built  in  1908,  with  a  capa- 
city of  3,000,000  gallons,  is  serving  the  Standard  Oil  Com- 
pany.    The  new   steel  screw  tank  steamers,   Oleum.   1.738 


tons,  and  W.  F.  Herrin,  3,143  tons,  are  recent  arrivals  from 
the  East,  the  former  serving  the  Union  Oil  Company,  and  the 
latter  the  Associated  Oil  Company. 

The  Union  Iron  Works'  large  dock  at  Hunter's  Point, 
emptied  of  w^ater,  with  the  United  States  cruiser  Milwaukee 
inside,  shows  how  big  vessels  can  be  docked  here. 

The  Merchants'  Exchange  is  visited  by  hundreds  of 
people  daily.  It  is  a  14-story  steel  structure  and  the  home 
of  the  San  Francisco  Chamber  of  Commerce,  the  name  of  a 
corporation  recently  formed,  in  which  has  been  merged  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce  of  San  Francisco,  the  Merchants'  Ex- 
change, the  Merchants'  Association,  and  the  Down  Town 
Association,  thus  making  it  the  largest  commercial  organiza- 
tion in  San  Francisco. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade 

PAST   AND   FUTURE 


An  Appreciative  Testimonial. 

To  the  memory  of  the  numerous  throng  gone  before, 
by  whose  thoughts,  words  and  acts  direct  communication 
by  the  all-water  route  between  the  Atlantic  seaboard  and 
the  Pacific  seaboard  was  inaugurated,  as  well  as  to  the 
long  line  of  their  successors,  who  have  since  maintained 
and  further  perfected  the  same  service,  and  who  are  now 
engaged  in  an  effort  to  greatly  shorten  the  route  between 
domestic  Pacific  and  domestic  Atlantic  and  European  ports, 
in  the  construction  of  a  ship  canal  across  the  Isthmus  of 
Darien,  the  greatest  enterprise  of  the  kind  ever  exploited, 
the  accompanying  story  is  most  respectfully  and  most 
gratefully  dedicated. 

The  pioneers  in  this  ocean  service  between  the  Atlantic 
and  the  Pacific  evidently  did  not  fully  realize  the  vast 
importance  of  their  undertaking,  as  have  those  who  have 
followed  them. 

The  Pacific  West  is  under  great  obligations  to  the 
Atlantic  East  for  its  rapid  and  successful  development. 

Seventy  years  ago  there  were  no  Pacific  States  or  Terri- 
tories. Since  1840,  the  number  of  States  has  been  increased 
from  26  to  46  and  the  population  of  the  country  from 
17,000,000  to  92,000,000.  The  six  Pacific  States  which  were 
not  in  existence  in  1840  now  report  a  population  of 
5.000,000,  of  which  California  is  credited  with  2,377,500. 

In  August,  1911,  Congress  conditionally  conferred 
Statehood  upon  Arizona  and  New  Mexico,  with  a  combined 
population  of  532,000. 


6  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

Golden  Gate  Opened  to  Commerce. 

While  the  first  permanent  white  settlement  in  San  Fran- 
cisco dates  from  June  28,  1876,  there  was  not  much  com- 
merce on  the  waters  of  the  bay  for  many  years  afterwards. 

The  Mission  of  San  Francisco  and  the  Mission  of  San 
Jose  had  each  a  30-ton  schooner,  which  had  been  built  at 
Fort  Ross  by  the  Russians.  After  a  time  both  became 
leaky  and  were  abandoned. 

William  A.  Richardson,  who  had  settled  in  Sausalito  in 
1822,  moved  to  San  Francisco  in  1835.  He  offered  to  put 
the  schooners  in  good  condition  and  carry  the  freight  of 
the  Mission  for  the  use  of  the  vessels  and  their  Indian 
crews,  which  offer  was  accepted. 

Mr.  Richardson  at  once  plunged  into  the  shipping  busi- 
ness, with  the  whole  of  the  southern  portion  of  the  bay 
as  a  field  of  operations.  As  there  was  no  Commerce  Com- 
mission in  existence  to  fix  rates,  he  charged  $1.00  per  bag 
for  transportation  of  tallow  or  12i/^  cents  apiece  for  hides 
from  any  part  of  the  bay  to  tidewater,  where  these  articles 
were  put  aboard  ship  for  export.  In  1835  and  1836  the 
exports  were  about  20,000  hides  and  1,000  tons  tallow, 
hardly  enough  for  a  single  ship  at  present. 

First  Passenger  Ship. 

The  Brooklyn  was  the  first  ship  to  enter  this  harbor 
with  any  considerable  number  of  passengers.  This  vessel 
left  New  York  February  5,  1846,  bound  for  Oregon  with 
238  passengers,  mostly  Mormons,  under  the  leadership  of 
Samuel  Brannan,  and  put  into  this  port  on  July  28,  1846, 
just  20  days  after  the  American  flag  had  been  hoisted  by 
Captain  Montgomery  of  the  U.  S.  sloop  Portsmouth,  on 
the  spot  since  known  as  Portsmouth  Square. 

In  March,   1847,  Colonel   Stevenson's  regiment   arrived 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  7 

from  New  York  on  the  transports  Thomas  H.  Perkins,  Loo 
Choo  and  Susan  Drew. 

The  shipping  in  port  at  that  time  consisted  of  the  above 
four  vessels,  together  with  the  ship  Vandalia,  a  coast 
schooner,  a  small  steam  launch  and  two  rowboats. 

The  improvements  comprised  about  two  dozen  buildings 
of  various  sizes,  used  for  all  purposes.  The  streets  were 
four  in  number — Montgomery  along  the  water  front,  with 
Kearny  to  the  west,  intersected  by  Clay  and  Washington. 

This  four-square  city  of  Yerba  Buena  of  1847  looks 
iu.significant  compared  with  the  San  Francisco  of  1911, 
with  its  miles  of  well-paved  streets  and  its  thousands  of 
substantial  buildings,  many  of  which  are  the  equal  of  the 
best  anywhere. 

First  Big  Fleet. 

The  first  record  of  marine  arrivals  of  much  importance 
was  for  the  twelve  months  immediately  following  the 
entrance  of  the  Thomas  H.  Perkins. 

The  official  report  for  the  year  ending  March  30,  1848, 
showed  86  marine  arrivals,  including  4  naval  vessels,  15 
whalers,  8  small  craft  from  the  Hawaiian  Islands  and  58 
from  domestic  Pacific  Coast  ports. 

How  many  of  these  vessels  came  into  port  in  the  last 
nine  months  of  1847.  or  how  many  came  in  during  the  first 
three  months  of  1848,  is  not  definitely  known. 

It  is  probable  that  the  naval  vessels  and  the  whalers 
were  among  the  arrivals  of  1847.  It  was  customary  at  that 
time  for  the  Arctic  whalers  to  rendezvous  at  the  Hawaiian 
Islands  in  the  closing  months  of  the  calendar  year  to  refit 
for  another  cruise.  Some  of  these  called  in  here  mainly 
for  fresh  water  supply,  which  was  obtained  at  Sausalito. 

J.  W.  Marshal  made  his  discovery  of  gold  in  January. 
1848,  and  the  news  of  that  discovery  undoubtedl.y  reached 
points  on  the  coast  and  the  Hawaiian  Islands  soon  after- 


8  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  —  Past  and  Future 

wards,  so  that  many  of  the  merchantmen  may  have  arrived 
in  February  and  March,  1848. 

First  Steamers  on  the  Pacific. 

The  first  mercantile  steamers  to  ply  on  the  Pacific  were 
built  in  England,  and  arrived  at  Talcahuna  in  1840,  having 
made  the  run  from  London  in  about  55  days.  They  were 
known  as  the  Chile  and  Peru,  each  registering  about  700 
tons.  They  were  to  run  between  South  American  ports 
and  Europe. 

The  first  steamer  to  try  the  waters  of  the  San  Fran- 
cisco bay  was  a  small  launch  built  by  the  Russians  at  Sitka 
and  brought  to  this  port  on  the  deck  of  a  vessel. 

This  vessel  made  one  trip  to  Sacramento,  but  on  her 
return  was  outdistanced  by  an  ox  team  that  left  that  city 
after  her  departure. 

This  event  so  stunned  the  pride  of  the  owners  that  they 
took  out  her  machinery  and  converted  her  into  a  sloop, 
in  which  form  she  was  more  successful. 

The  frame  of  a  small  steamer  intended  for  service  at 
San  Francisco  was  fashioned  on  board  the  ship  Edward 
Everett  which  left  Boston  on  January  10,  1849,  for  the 
Pacific.  This  experiment  was  equally  unsuccessful,  but  the 
machinery  proved  useful  in  running  the  first  quartz  mill 
put  in  operation  in  California. 

Pacific  Needs  Recognized. 

Pacific  Coast  affairs  were  not  much  in  the  public  eye 
in  1840,  and  there  was  little  appreciation  of  this  end  of  the 
country  at  that  time. 

Within  five  years  afterwards,  however,  it  was  realized 
that  some  consideration  ought  to  be  given  to  this  section. 
At  that  time  there  were  some  white  settlements  scattered 
up  and  down  the  coast,  and  they  wanted  some  recognition 
from  the  other  side  of  the  continent. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  9 

So  in  1845  a  petition  was  forwarded  to  the  United  States 
Postal  Department,  requesting  the  establishment  of  a  mail 
service  between  New  York  and  Oregon  by  way  of  Panama. 

The  enterprise  contemplated  a  semi-monthly  service 
between  New  York  and  Panama  and  a  monthly  service 
between  the  latter  port  and  Oregon,  to  be  performed  by 
steamers  approved  by  the  Government. 

After  some  discussion,  the  claim  of  the  petitioners  was 
considered  reasonable,  and  proposals  were  solicited  for  the 
service. 

Three  responses  followed,  one  for  $300,000,  one  for 
$199,000  and  one  for  $151,000  per  annum,  and  of  course  the 
lowest  one  was  accepted. 

Bat  neither  of  the  lowest  two  bidders  were  able  to  carry 
out  the  contract,  and  it  was  finally  awarded  to  W.  H.  Aspin- 
wall,  who  had  been  previously  identified  with  business  on 
the  Isthmus. 

Mr.  Aspinwall  subsequently  interested  Gardiner  How- 
land  and  Henry  Chauneey  in  the  project,  and  the  result 
was  the  incorporation  in  New  York  on  April  12,  1848,  of 
the  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Company,  with  a  capital  of 
$500,000. 

The  act  of  Congress  authorizing  the  opening  of  this  new 
mail  route  was  passed  March  3,  1847.  This  act  was  subse- 
quently amended  to  include  San  Francisco  as  a  port  of 
call  on  the  way  to  Portland,  the  subsidy  being  fixed  at 
$200,000  per  annum. 

The  next  step  in  this  movement  was  a  little  more  dif- 
ficult than  the  previous  ones  had  been. 

These  gentlemen  had  secured  a  contract  for  a  service 
for  which  they  had  no  steamers,  and  there  were  no  suitable 
ones  in  existence  that  could  be  chartered  for  that  purpose. 
The  contract  was  quite  specific  and  strongly  worded  in  the 
interest  of  the  Government  that  guaranteed  the  expenditure 
for  carrying  the  mails. 


10  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

The  steamers  were  to  be  built  under  Government 
supervision,  and  with  special  regard  to  strength,  so  that 
they  might  be  used  for  war  steamers  in  case  of  emergency. 
To  this  end  their  construction  allowed  piercing  for  guns  or 
arrangements  on  deck  for  mounted  guns. 

Another  provision  exacted  by  the  Government  was  that 
the  steamer  should  be  placed  in  command  of  a  captain  se- 
lected from  the  United  States  Navy.  This  was  an  addi- 
tional guarantee  that  the  steamers  should  be  used  for  Gov- 
ernment service  in  case  of  war. 

Nearly  all  of  the  early  commanders  of  the  Pacific  Mail 
Company's  steamers  were  selected  from  the  United  States 
Navy;  and  many  selections  of  that  kind  were  made  even 
after  the  exaction  was  removed. 

The  promoters  of  the  enterprise  doubtless  looked  upon 
these  requirements  of  the  Government  as  unnecessary  bur- 
dens, but  in  the  end  they  proved  to  be  of  great  value  to 
the  new  steamship  company  in  the  untried  field  it  was  to 
cover.  These  commanders  knew  the  ways  of  the  ocean  both 
theoretically  and  practically  as  few  in  other  professions  did. 

Big  Steamship  Contract. 

Having  carefully  examined  the  terms  of  the  contract 
that  had  been  awarded  them,  and  having  fully  approved 
and  accepted  the  conditions  imposed  by  the  same,  they  at 
once  arranged  to  have  three  steamers  built  after  the  plans 
of  the  War  Department. 

William  H.  Webb,  a  well  known  ship  builder,  was  given 
the  order  to  construct  the  vessels,  and  he  immediately  pre- 
pared his  yard  for  the  task.  It  was  a  hurry  order  and  he 
was  given  a  fixed  time  in  which  to  build  and  equip  the 
vessels. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  Mr.  Webb  carried  out  his  con- 
tract to  the  letter.     The  vessels  were  to  be  built  after  the 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  11 

same  model,  each  to  be  of  1,000  tons  burthen,  with  paddle 
wheels  for  propulsion. 

At  that  time  most  of  the  steamers  in  service  on  the 
Atlantic  were  under  1,000  tons  register,  so  that  steamers 
over  1,000  tons  were  something  of  a  novelty.  As  each  of 
these  steamers  glided  from  the  ways  into  the  water  it  was 
pronounced  a  beauty,  staunch,  well  equipped  and  excellent 
rating  for  speed  and  comfort. 

Under  the  command  of  experienced  naval  officers,  the 
service  was  of  the  highest  type,  and  the  whole  outfit  was 
a  splendid  contribution  to  the  marine  of  the  world. 

Tribute  to  the  Enterprise. 

William  H.  Aspinwall,  the  founder  of  the  Pacific  Mail 
Company,  was  naturally  selected  as  the  first  president.  At 
the  time  he  was  a  successful  business  man,  just  the  kind  of 
a  man  to  head  an  enterprise  of  this  sort. 

It  is  not  remembered  how  long  he  held  the  office  of 
president,  and  it  is  ho  reflection  on  the  many  other  able 
gentlemen  who  have  succeeded  him  in  that  important  office 
to  say  that  not  one  has  given  to  the  company's  service  a 
better  administration. 

The  period  of  his  incumbency  was  a  trying  one,  as  is 
generally  the  case  with  the  inauguration  of  great  enter- 
prises, but  he  showed  himself  equal  to  the  occasion,  and  his 
influence  was  felt  on  the  affairs  of  the  company  long  after 
he  had  retired  from  the  office  of  president. 

The  enterprise  itself  was  a  great  undertaking.  At  that 
time  the  possibilities  of  the  Pacific  Coast  were  not  realized. 
The  presence  of  gold  in  California  was  unknown  at  the 
inception  of  the  enterprise.  The  subsidy  was  about  the  only 
revenue  in  sight.  There  was  little  to  hope  in  the  way  of 
passenger  or  freight  traffic.  The  undertaking  was  little  less 
than  a  leap  in  the  dark.  But  faith  in  the  unseen  was 
eventually  rewarded. 


12  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

Pioneer  Pacific  Fleet. 

Three  steamers  can  hardly  be  termed  a  fleet,  but  as 
subsequent  events  have  proved,  they  are  entitled  to  be  con- 
sidered the  pioneers  of  a  fleet  that  has  made  much  history 
for  the  coast. 

These  steamers  were  appropriately  christened  with  the 
names  of  California,  Oregon  and  Panama.  It  is  said  that 
Mr.  Webb  built  only  two  of  these,  the  first  and  last  named, 
and  that  it  was  Mr.  Secor  who  built  the  Oregon.  It  is  fur- 
ther said  that  Mr.  Webb  completed  his  two  before  Mr.  Secor 
had  finished  the  Oregon.  The  California  registered  1,050 
tons,  the  Panama  1,058  tons,  and  the  Oregon  1,120  tons. 

The  California  was  the  first  to  leave  New  York,  and  she 
started  promptly  at  noon  October  5,  1848,  for  Panama  via 
the  Straits  of  Magellan,  under  the  command  of  Cleveland 
Forbes,  a  brother  of  A.  B.  Forbes,  so  long  and  so  well 
known  in  this  city. 

A  fellow  officer  of  this  pioneer  commander  of  the  pioneer 
steamer  in  the  mercantile  service  under  the  American  flag, 
said  of  Mr.  Forbes :  "He  was  as  noble  and  gallant  a  seaman 
as  ever  tread  the  quarter  deck  or  held  a  quadrant  to  the 
sun. ' ' 

Captain  Forbes  was  taken  ill  on  the  voyage  to  Panama, 
and  though  a  proper  subject  for  a  physician's  care,  insisted 
on  looking  after  his  vessel  when  he  ought  to  have  been 
reclining  in  his  stateroom. 

The  steamer  made  several  stops  before  reaching  Panama, 
and  was  therefore  much  longer  on  the  voyage  than  expected. 

At  Valparaiso  Captain  Forbes  was  so  ill  that  a  council 
of  phj^sicians  was  called,  and  it  was  their  verdict  that  he 
should  be  relieved  from  the  responsibility  of  commanding 
the  ship.  A  capable  commander  was  found  at  Valparaiso 
in  the  person  of  John  Marshall,  then  in  charge  of  a  ship  in 
port  en  route  to  China,  and  he  took  the  California  to  Panama 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  13 

and  thence  to  San  Francisco,  Mr.  Forbes  remaining  on  board 
as  a  passenger. 

The  California  took  no  passengers  from  New  York  except 
two  or  three  privileged  characters  who  were  bound  to  South 
America.  The  surgeon  of  the  ship  was  Dr.  A.  B.  Stout,  who 
subsequently  became  a  resident  of  San  Francisco. 

The  officers  of  the  California  little  knew  what  a  crowd 
was  at  Panama  waiting  their  arrival,  for  the  gold  fever 
had  not  become  violent  at  the  time  of  departure  from  New 
York. 

A  New  Link  in  the  Service. 

While  the  California  was  steaming  for  Panama  via  the 
Straits  of  Magellan,  arrangements  were  being  made  to  send 
a  steamer  to  Aspinwall  with  the  view  of  making  a  con- 
nection in  some  way  across  the  Isthmus  to  Panama,  a  dis- 
tance of  about  50  miles.  How  this  was  to  be  accomplished 
did  not  seem  to  concern  the  promoters  very  much. 

The  steamer  Falcon  was  selected  for  this  service,  and 
she  was  advertised  to  leave  New  York  for  Aspinwall  on 
December  20,  1848.  The  stories  of  gold  discoveries  in  Cali- 
fornia had  begun  to  receive  some  credence,  and  the  Falcon 
had  no  difficulty  in  getting  her  berths  filled. 

In  fact,  the  rush  for  passage  seemed  to  be  anticipated, 
for  the  time  of  departure  was  advanced  from  the  20th  to 
the  1st  of  December.  It  was  decided  to  put  to  sea  at  noon 
on  the  latter  date,  and  within  five  minutes  after  the  hour 
had  struck.  Captain  Miles  T.  Thompson  gave  the  order  to 
cast  off  the  lines,  and  she  immediately  proceeded  out  of  the 
river  to  the  sea.  Two  hours  later  she  passed  the  steamers 
Oregon  and  Panama,  the  former  on  her  trial  trip  and  the 
latter  returning  to  port  disabled. 

Among  the  passengers  on  the  Falcon  were  several 
females,  including  the  captain's  wife,  her  maiden  sister,  and 
the    wife    of    the    young    Baptist    missionary,    Rev.    0.    C. 


14  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

Wheeler,  then  being  sent  out  to  the  coast  by  the  American 
Baptist  Home  Mission  Society. 

A  good  story  of  Wheeler  in  this  connection  has  been  told. 
He  was  fresh  from  college,  and  had  been  settled  over  a 
growing  church  for  about  a  year.  The  officers  of  the  Home 
Mission  Society  invited  him  to  go  to  California.  He  told 
them  he  would  not  give  up  his  pastorate  for  the  highest  office 
in  the  gift  of  the  people.  However,  after  much  persuasion, 
he  was  prevailed  upon  to  go.  The  next  thing  was  to  secure 
passage  on  the  Falcon.  This  was  on  the  18th  of  November. 
The  parties  were  surprised  when  they  found  the  date  for 
sailing  had  been  changed  to  December  1st,  and  Wheeler 
was  asked  if  he  could  get  ready  for  such  a  voyage  on  such 
short  notice.  His  reply  was:  "After  all  I  have  sacrificed 
in  accepting  the  offer,  I  will  go  even  if  the  steamer  should 
sail  to  morrow." 

Most  of  the  Falcon's  passengers  were  seasick  just  after 
starting,  but  the  weather  on  the  third  day  out  was  pleasant. 
This  was  Sunday,  and  in  the  afternoon  religious  services 
were  held.  Only  two  of  the  four  clergymen  on  board  were 
well  enough  to  take  part.  The  service  was  conducted  by 
Rev.  Sylvester  Woodbridge  and  the  Rev.  0.  C.  Wheeler.  On 
the  following  Sunday,  Wheeler  preached  from  the  words: 
"I  have  sworn,  and  I  will  perform  it,  that  I  will  keep  thy 
righteous  judgments." 

The  Falcon  finally  landed  her  passengers  and  then  came 
the  most  difficult  part  of  the  voyage — that  of  crossing  the 
Isthmus  of  Panama. 

Boats  or  canoes  were  used  on  the  Chagres  river  to  Gor- 
gona,  or  within  eighteen  miles  of  Panama,  and  the  remainder 
of  the  way  was  either  made  on  foot  or  on  the  backs  of  mules. 
Two  of  the  lady  passengers  went  across  on  mules,  man 
fashion,  in  a  drenching  rain,  and  were  received  with  great 
demonstrations  at  Panama. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  15 

Last  Loop  of  Memorable  Trip. 

The  Falcon's  passengers  had  to  wait  twenty-tive  days  at 
Panama  for  the  arrival  of  the  California.  In  the  meantime 
others  had  arrived  at  Panama  from  New  Orleans  and  other 
southern  ports  en  route  to  California.  This  was  due  to  the 
fact  that  three  days  after  the  departure  of  the  Falcon  from 
New  York  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California  was  made 
public  by  President  Polk  in  his  message  to  Congress. 

The  officers  of  the  California  found  the  accommodations 
of  the  steamer  overtaxed,  but  did  the  best  they  could  and 
pulled  away  from  Panama  as  soon  as  possible. 

The  only  event  of  any  importance  on  the  way  up  from 
Panama  arose  from  the  fear  that  the  coal  would  give  out 
before  port  was  reached.  This  fear  was  partially  realized, 
for  when  off  Monterey,  in  a  dense  fog,  orders  were  given  to 
burn  the  lumber  used  in  making  temporary  berths.  How- 
ever, a  further  search  found  some  coal  in  an  unexpected 
quarter  of  the  vessel,-  and  what  threatened  to  be  a  danger  was 
averted.  After  a  slow  and  cautious  trip  of  twenty-eight 
days  from  Panama,  the  steamer  California  passed  through 
the  Golden  Gate.  Since  then  the  trip  has  been  made  in  less 
than  one-half  of  that  time. 

An  Enthusiastic  Welcome. 

Never  was  a  merchant  steamer  received  at  this  port  more 
royally  or  enthusiastically.  Of  course  when  General  Grant 
arrived  here  on  the  Pacific  Mail  steamer  City  of  Tokio  from 
Hongkong  in  September,  1879,  on  his  famous  trip  around 
the  world,  there  was  a  grander  display  among  the  shipping 
in  the  port  and  throughout  the  city,  because  there  was  more 
material  out  of  which  to  make  a  demonstration. 

But  on  the  occasion  of  the  entrance  of  the  steamer  Cali- 
fornia on  February  28,  1849,  the  city  turned  out  to  the  very 
limit  of  its  population  to  bid  her  welcome. 


16  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

It  was  a  beautiful  morning  as  she  was  descried  in  the 
offing,  and  the  sides  of  Telegraph  Hill  and  the  vicinity  of 
Clark's  Point,  where  the  vessel  was  to  anchor,  were  eagerly 
taken  possession  of  by  the  excited  citizens. 

The  passengers  on  the  steamer  were  all  on  deck,  peering 
anxiously  at  every  object  in  the  bay  and  on  the  land. 

It  so  happened  that  five  American  warships  were  anchored 
off  Alcatraz  Island.  These  were  of  different  sizes,  the  small- 
est being  the  most  outward. 

The  California  steamed  cautiously  in,  and  then  circled 
in  and  out  among  these  warships,  receiving  salutes  from 
guns  on  alternate  sides  of  each  vessel  as  she  passed,  accom- 
panied with  the  dipping  of  flags  and  other  demonstrations  of 
joy,  all  of  which  were  right  cordially  answered  by  the  Cali- 
fornia's passengers. 

The  flagship  of  this  small  fleet  was  the  Ohio,  the  largest 
of  them  all,  and  then  regarded  as  the  pride  of  the  United 
States  Navy.  On  the  quarter-deck  of  the  Ohio,  in  full  dress 
uniform,  with  all  the  courtesy  and  dignities  of  the  highest 
type  of  the  navy,  and  directing  the  movements  of  all  the 
warships  in  this  splendid  ovation,  stood  Commander  Jones, 
bowing  gracefully  and  waving  salutes  in  all  directions. 

As  the  California  rounded  the  Ohio,  the  last  of  the  fleet, 
her  monster  guns  belched  forth  their  peals  of  welcome,  and 
ere  the  smoke  had  cleared  the  decks  the  order  of  Commander 
Jones  rang  out  loud  and  clear: 

"Man  the  yards."  In  response  to  this  order  1,500  as 
noble  seamen  as  could  be  found  in  the  United  States  Navy 
immediately  ran  aloft  and  filled  the  air  with  their  cheers. 

First  Voyage  Ended. 

After  this  short  spectacular  marine  display,  the  steamer 
California  came  to  anchor  off  Clark's  Point,  near  the  north- 
easterly base  of  Telegraph  Hill.     There  were  no  piers  at 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  17 

deep  water  where  vessels  could  tie  up  at  that  time,  and  this 
spot  was  chosen  for  the  purpose  of  debarkation. 

The  shallow  water  from  this  cove  then  extended  to  the 
intersection  of  Jackson  and  Montgomery  streets,  an  area 
since  covered  with  massive  buildings  for  various  kinds  of 
business,  including  the  Customs  House  and  Appraisers  Build- 
ing, and  for  many  years  the  general  postoffice. 

The  voyage  from  New  York  to  San  Francisco  via  the 
Straits  of  Magellan  and  Panama  had  consumed  just  145  days. 
Afterwards  many  sailing  vessels  from  New  York  to  San 
Francisco  via  Cape  Horn,  made  much  better  time  than  that. 

The  time  by  steamer  from  New  York  via  Aspinwall,  the 
Chagres  river  and  Panama  on  this  first  through  trip  to  San 
Francisco  was  89  days.  This  included  a  wait  of  25  days  at 
Panama  for  the  steamer  California. 

Some  Cases  of  Gold  Fever. 

In  the  sense  here  iised,  this  is  not  a  new  disease.  People 
have  been  more  or  less  afflicted  with  it  from  time  immem- 
orial, and  it  is  doubtful  if  it  ever  will  be  eradicated. 

When  the  steamer  Falcon  left  New  York  there  were 
stories  of  the  finding  of  gold  in  California,  and  some  of 
those  who  took  passage  on  that  steamer  had  more  or  less 
faith  in  these  stories,  but  there  was  not  much  enthusiasm 
over  the  matter  on  the  trip  from  New  York  to  Aspinwall. 

There  was  a  material  change  in  the  situation  upon  the 
arrival  of  these  passengers  at  Chagres.  At  the  hotel  there 
the  landlord  exhibited  in  a  confidential  way  to  a  few 
acquaintances  a  four-ounce  vial  of  gold  dust  which  he  alleged 
came  from  California. 

This  worked  like  a  charm.  Canoes  for  ascending  the 
Chagres  river  were  in  great  demand,  as  everybody  was  anx- 
ious to  get  to  Panama  as  soon  as  possible,  as  the  steamer  Cali- 
fornia was  supposed  to  be  due  there  on  the  5th  of  January. 


18  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

It  is  strange  what  effect  four  ounces  of  gold  dust  will 
have  on  people  under  certain  circumstances.  Stranger  still, 
how  that  quantity  of  California  gold  dust  reached  Chagres 
at  that  early  date. 

Nevertheless,  it  had  a  good  effect  on  the  canoe  business. 
These  canoes  were  chartered  at  from  $40  to  $60,  including 
poling  by  the  natives  from  Chagres  to  Cruces.  One  of  these 
dugouts  was  of  mahogany,  three  feet  through  and  twenty  feet 
long,  and  the  crew  consisted  of  four  natives. 

Ordinarily  indolent,  the  natives  just  then  seemed  to  be 
more  than  usually  inactive.  They  were  evidently  on  the  job, 
and  looking  for  tips.  They  had  to  be  urged  by  all  sorts  of 
methods,  and  sometimes  by  the  exhibition  of  firearms.  They 
made  frequent  stops  to  bathe  and  otherwise  refresh  them- 
selves. 

Those  who  have  since  crossed  the  Isthmus  under  more 
favorable  conditions  do  not  wonder  at  the  lack  of  energy  on 
the  part  of  those  who  have  to  exist  in  that  sultry  climate. 

Before  all  the  passengers  by  the  Falcon  reached  Panama 
it  was  reported  that  there  were  1,500  people  at  Chagres  wait- 
ing the  opportunity  to  get  across  the  Isthmus  in  the  absence 
of  canoes  and  other  means  of  transportation.  How  these  and 
still  later  arrivals  fared  at  the  hands  of  the  canoe  managers 
is  another  story. 

In  view  of  what  was  learned  at  Panama,  the  delay  in  the 
arrival  of  the  California  at  that  point  was  extremely  irritat- 
ing. The  crowd  became  very  restless,  especially  during  the 
latter  part  of  the  wait.  The  slow  passage  of  the  steamer  up 
was  equally  if  not  more  exasperating. 

As  soon  as  the  California  anchor  was  dropped  off  Clark's 
Point,  she  was  surrounded  by  a  swarm  of  small  boats,  while 
those  in  charge  of  them  were  as  eager  to  take  the  passengers 
ashore  as  they  were  to  be  taken  off. 

While  these  arrangements  were  in    progress    volleys    of 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  19 

questions  and  answers  were  fired  from  the  small  boats  to 
the  deck  and  from  the  steamer's  deck  to  the  small  boats. 

The  burden  of  this  volley  related  to  the  truthfulness  of 
the  stories  concerning  the  finding  of  gold  in  California,  in 
what  section  the  discoveries  had  been  made  and  the  extent 
and  value  of  the  deposits. 

In  reply  the  immigrants  were  told  that  what  they  had 
heard  about  the  discoveries  was  true,  but  the  half  had  not 
been  told,  as  the  yield  already  was  running  into  the  millions. 
The  large  number  of  vessels  in  the  harbor  and  the  numerous} 
tents  on  the  shore  confirmed  the  statements. 

Gold  was  discovered  in  California  in  January,  1848,  by 
James  W.  Marshal,  an  American  employed  by  General  Sutter 
in  building  a  saw  mill  to  be  driven  by  water  power  at  Coloma, 
45  miles  northeasterly  from  Sacramento.  News  of  the  find 
was  pretty  generally  believed  in  San  Francisco  in  March, 
1848.  At  that  time  the  population  was  812.  In  the  follow- 
ing month  the  town  was  deserted,  as  everybody  had  gone  to 
the  locality  where  the  discovery  had  been  made.  Town  lots 
in  San  Francisco  could  then  be  bought  for  a  song,  but  there 
was  no  one  left  to  furnish  the  song,  or  to  enjoy  the  singing. 

In  the  winter  of  1848,  when  some  of  the  people  returned 
from  the  mines  to  San  Francisco  with  means  to  buy  lumber 
and  build  houses,  they  found  their  lots  worth  from  five  to 
ten  times  as  much  as  they  were  in  the  preceding  April,  and 
the  enhancement  of  value  was  really  a  greater  fortune  to 
them  than  what  they  had  secured  in  their  absence  of  four 
months  at  the  mines. 

It  was  these  people  and  such  as  these  that  the  passengers 
on  the  steamer  California  conversed  with  from  the  deck  at 
anchor  and  as  they  clambered  down  the  sides  into  the  small 
boats  that  were  to  take  them  ashore. 


20  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

On  California  Soil  at  Last. 

Right  glad  were  the  passengers  by  this  pioneer  steamer  to 
place  their  feet  again  on  terra  firma,  and  especially  in  Cali- 
fornia. 

It  is  related  of  one  of  these,  a  bluff  old  gentleman,  as  he 
reached  the  shore  in  one  of  the  boats  and  threw  out  his 
valise,  that  he  noticed  a  man  he  thought  was  looking  for  a 
job,  and  proffered  him  a  half  dollar  with  the  request  to  take 
his  baggage  to  the  hotel.  In  the  true  California  style  of  the 
pioneer  days,  the  spirit  of  which  still  lingers,  the  man  hailed 
for  the  service  plunged  his  hand  into  his  pocket,  and  taking 
out  two  half  dollars,  threw  them  at  the  feet  of  the  newly 
arrived  with  the  remark,  ' '  Carry  it  up  yourself. ' ' 

On  their  way  up  town,  the  passengers  were  much  amused 
at  what  they  saw  and  heard.  Passing  a  restaurant  they  read : 
"Potatoes  served  every  day."  It  seems  that  the  supply  of 
the  tubers  had  become  exhausted  a  few  days  previously,  but 
that  a  new  lot  had  just  come  in  from  some  source,  and  so 
they  again  appeared  on  the  bill  of  fare.  They  were  about  as 
large  as  English  walnuts  and  sold  at  $1.50  per  pound. 

Commodities  and  Values. 

Prices  of  all  commodities  were  naturally  high  in  the 
spring  of  1849,  as  they  had  to  be  brought  in  from  Oregon, 
Mexico  and  the  Hawaiian  Islands. 

Eggs  were  $12  per  dozen.  A  gentleman  who  had  just 
sold  a  dozen  at  that  figure,  when  subsequently  told  that 
eggs  had  advanced,  raised  his  price  to  $9  for  the  last  half 
dozen  on  hand.  The  price  of  lumber  was  $450  per  thousand 
feet. 

A  consignment  of  tea  was  put  in  auction  by  C.  V.  Gilles- 
pie. There  was  a  good  attendance  of  interior  buyers,  all 
anxious  to  get  some  part  of  the  lot.  The  cargo  was  offered 
in  lots  of  10  chests,  with  the  privilege  of  calling  for  as  much 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  21 

more  as  the  successful  bidder  desired.  The  first  lot  was 
knocked  down  to  a  man  who  was  whittling  and  apparently 
uninterested  in  the  sale.  When  asked  how  much  he  would 
take,  without  looking  up  he  replied,  "the  whole  cargo." 
The  buyer  was  Samuel  Brannan,  then  looked  upon  as  one 
of  the  old  residents,  as  he  had  been  in  the  town  since  July, 
1846,  when  he  arrived  at  the  head  of  a  colony  of  238  pas- 
sengers. 

Large  Buyers. 

Cargo  purchases  by  a  single  individual  were  quite  com- 
mon in  the  pioneer  days  of  San  Francisco.  Infrequent  arri- 
vals of  supplies  made  it  comparatively  easy  to  create  corners 
in  special  lines  of  merchandise. 

As  the  people  were  dependent  upon  water  transportation 
for  most  of  their  goods,  it  was  easy  to  keep  a  record  of 
vessels  en  route  with  cargoes.  It  was  only  when  the 
unexpected  happened  that  there  was  an  upset  in  calculation. 

One  instance  of  th'e  last  named  kind  may  be  mentioned. 
The  lookout  reported  a  vessel  in  the  offing,  one  that  had 
not  been  expected.  Two  would-be  buyers  jumped  into  their 
boats  to  board  the  incoming  vessel.  One  of  these  secured 
the  lead  of  the  other  and  maintained  it  in  the  race.  As 
soon  as  he  came  within  hailing  distance  he  shouted.  "Have 
you  woolen  shirts?" 

The  skipper  replied  in  the  affirmative  and  named  the 
quantity  as  100  dozen.  He  was  then  asked  what  he  would 
take  for  his  entire  cargo,  whatever  it  was.  "A  hundred 
per  cent  over  cost  in  New  York."  "It  is  a  bargain,"  said 
the  young  boatman,  "and  here  is  $100  to  bind  it."  The 
buyer  was  C.  L.  Ross,  and  the  speculation  was  a  good  one 
for  him. 

The  California's  Passengers. 

Among  these  were  four  clergymen.  At  least  two  of 
these  took  passage  at  New  York  on  the  Falcon,  which  sailed 


22  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

on  December  1,  1848.  These  were  Sylvester  Woodbridge, 
Presbyterian,  and  0.  C.  Wheeler,  Baptist,  the  last  named 
being  accompanied  by  his  wife.  The  other  two  were  Con- 
gregationalists,  and  their  names  were  J.  W.  Douglas  and 
S.  H.  Willey. 

Mr.    Woodbridge    died   while    acting   as   pastor   of   the 

Woodbridge   Presbyterian   Church   in   this   city,   named   in 

his  honor.     Mr.  Douglas  did  some  missionary  work  on  the 

coast,  was  at  one  time  connected  with  the  denominational 

.,.^^0<rt*i/^'      paper  and  was  quite  a  botanist.     The  Douglas  fir  of  Oregon 

'hfvv  was  one  of  his  discoveries.    He  returned  to  the  East,  where 

' ''  ,'  '. '         ^6  died.     Mr.  Wheeler  organized  and  was  the  first  pastor 

of  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  San  Francisco  at  a  salary 

of  $10,000  per  annum,    but    this    stipend    was    only  for  a 

temporary   period.     He   had   good    executive    ability    and 

^,  was   a  strong   preacher.     He   died  many  years  ago.     Mr. 

Willey  was  at  one  time  pastor  of  the  First  Congregational 

Church  in  San  Francisco  and  has  always  been  one  of  the 

most  beloved  in  church  and  educational  circles.    He  retired 

from    active    service    some    years    ago,    and   celebrated   his 

ninetieth  birthday  anniversary  in  March,  1911. 

Among  other  passengers  by  the  same  steamer  were 
Captain  Elliott  and  his  wife.  General  Persifer  S.  Smith, 
Captain  R.  W.  Heath,  Major  Fitzgerald,  William  Van  Voor- 
hees,  H.  F.  Williams,  D.  W.  C.  Thompson,  Major  Canby, 
Alexander  Austin,  Eugene  Sullivan,  E.  T.  Batters,  Alfred 
Robinson,  Mallachi  Fallon,  R.  M.  Price,  Pacificus  Ord,  Levi 
Stowell,  Cleveland  Forbes. 

There  were  still  others  as  worthy  of  mention  as  the 
above,  but  their  names  are  not  recalled.  Many  of  the  above 
subsequently  became  prominently  identified  with  the  his- 
tory of  the  city  and  State.  General  Smith  came  to  assume 
command  of  the  American  forces  on  the  Pacific  Coast. 

Dr.  A.  B.  Stout,  surgeon  of  the  steamer,  subsequently 
organized  some  of  these  passengers  as  the  "First  Steamship 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  23 

Pioneers,"  and  was  chosen  president,  with  H.  F.  Williams 
as  secretary. 

On  the  25th  anniversary  of  the  arrival  of  the  California, 
February  28,  1874,  the  Pacific  Mail  Company  kindly  placed 
the  old  favorite  steamer  at  the  disposal  of  the  "First  Steam- 
ship Pioneers"  for  an  excursion  around  the  bay.  The 
steamer  was  gaily  trimmed  for  the  occasion,  and  with  music, 
songs,  speeches  and  a  dinner  a  happy  reunion  was  enjoyed. 

Schedule  Upset. 

The  contract  called  for  a  monthly  line  from  Panama  to 
Portland,  Oregon,  via  San  Francisco.  That  contract  would 
have  been  literally  carried  out  but  for  the  gold  discovery 
in  California.  The  pioneer  steamer  under  this  schedule 
did  not  get  to  Portland,  nor  did  she  go  further  north  than 
San  Francisco. 

No  sooner  had  the  passengers  gone  ashore  with  their 
luggage  and  hurried  off  to  the  mines  near  Sacramento  than 
they  were  followed  by  the  crew,  every  man  of  them,  and 
without  any  regard  to  the  wages  due  them.  The  temptation 
to  get  gold  by  simply  washing  a  little  sand  was  too  much 
as  compared  with  the  paltry  wages  for  braving  the  danger.s 
of  the  ocean. 

But  the  desire  to  leave  the  steamer  did  not  end  with  the 
leave-taking  by  the  crew.  The  panic  engulfed  the  officers 
as  well,  from  the  lowest  in  rank  up  to  the  captain.  When 
these  facts  came  to  the  knowledge  of  Mr.  Forbes,  who  was 
in  command  from  New  York  to  Valparaiso,  he  prevailed 
upon  Fred  Foggin,  one  of  the  assistant  engineers,  to  remain 
in  charge  of  the  steamer. 

New  Commander. 

This  condition  of  things  was  immediately  reported  to 
the  head  office  of  the  company  at  New  York,  and  as  soon 


24  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  —  Past  and  Future 

as  possible  thereafter  a  new  commander  for  the  steamer 
California  was  sent  to  the  coast.  The  man  selected  for  this 
service  was  Captain  Budd  of  the  United  States  Navy. 

Too  much  time  had  been  consumed  in  getting  the  steamer 
to  San  Francisco,  in  connection  with  the  additional  delay 
incident  to  the  desertion  of  the  crew  and  officers,  to  think 
of  completing  the  voyage  by  proceeding  to  Portland.  In 
fact,  the  time  fixed  for  the  return  trip  had  already  expired, 
and  the  trip  for  the  California  had  therefore  to  be  omitted 
altogether. 

Immediately  upon  his  arrival,  Captain  Budd  assumed 
charge  of  the  California  and  started  to  put  things  in  order 
and  to  secure  the  necessary  supplies  and  a  crew.  This  was 
not  an  easy  matter  at  that  time,  and  the  outfitting  for  the 
return  voyage  to  Panama  was  an  expensive  one. 

First  Church  Services. 

If  the  first  gold  seekers  in  California  did  not  turn  out 
to  church  services  as  well  as  the  preachers  desired,  they 
were  noted  for  many  helpful  deeds  to  the  needy  and  a  gen- 
rosity  that  was  at  once  both  spontaneous  and  chivalrous. 
Many  a  poor  fellow  was  helped  without  knowing  who 
helped  him. 

There  were  no  Protestant  church  edifices  in  San  Fran- 
cisco in  the  spring  of  1849.  Mr.  Wheeler  preached  in  a 
private  house  on  the  Washington  street  hill,  near  Stockton 
street.  For  the  first  few  Sundays  not  more  than  half  a 
dozen  persons  attended  the  services.  His  first  Sunday  school 
consisted  of  three,  one  of  whom  was  the  son  of  General 
Geary. 

As  soon  as  a  temporary  structure  was  prepared,  the 
attendance  increased.  The  congregation  was  unique,  nearly 
all  men  and  under  forty,  including  miners  in  flannel  shirts 
and  long  boots,  with  unshaven  faces,  business  men  in  gar- 
ments of  all  sizes  and  fashions,  and  here  and  there  a  woman 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  25 

who,  then  as  now,  but  more  then  than  now,  divided  the 
attention  of  the  congregation  between  herself  and  the 
minister. 

Second  Pacific  Mail  Steamer. 

As  originally  planned,  the  steamer  Panama  was  to  have 
followed  the  California  from  New  York,  but  owing  to  an 
accident  on  her  trial  trip  she  was  detained  for  repairs,  and 
the  Oregon,  the  third  and  last  of  those  first  ordered  for  the 
new  line,  was  substituted. 

The  Oregon  left  New  York  early  in  December,  1848, 
taking  the  same  route  as  her  predecessor.  She  was  under 
the  command  of  R.  H.  Pearson  of  the  United  States  Navy. 

Arriving  at  Panama,  she  took  the  passengers  that  left 
New  York  by  the  steamers  Falcon  and  Crescent  City  for 
Aspinwall  February  1st  and  5th.  The  former  called  at  a 
port  on  the  way,  and  both  arrived  at  Chagres  about  the 
same  time. 

The  Oregon  arrived  at  San  Francisco  on  April  1,  18-49. 
Captain  Pearson  had  been  informed  of  how  the  crew  of  the 
California  had  deserted  the  ship  immediately  upon  arrival 
for  the  mines,  and  he  therefore  took  the  precaution  to 
secure  his  crew  beyond  escape  as  he  came  to  anchor.  His 
naval  experience  no  doubt  prompted  this  action,  and  the 
effect  of  his  discipline  made  the  task  an  easy  one. 

Prominent  Passengers. 

The  Oregon  brought  250  passengers,  many  of  them  more 
or  less  prominent  in  the  varied  walks  of  life,  w^hile  others 
attained  notoriety  after  landing.    A  full  list  is  not  at  hand. 

Those  remembered  embraced  Capt.  L.  M.  Goldsborough, 
who  afterward  became  a  commodore.  Dr.  A.  J.  Bowie,  Major 
R.  P.  Hammond,  Dr.  George  F.  Turner,  Captain  (afterward 
General)  E.  D.  Keyes,  Frederick  Billings,  F.  D.  Atherton, 
John  Benson.  A.  K.  P.  Harmon,  Rev.  Albert  Williams,  Dr. 


26  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

Horace  Bacon,  D.  N.  Hawley,  Captain  M.  R.  Roberts,  E.  B. 
Vreeland,  Dr.  W.  F.  Peabody,  John  W.  Geary,  George  H. 
Beach,  William  M.  Lent,  John  T.  Little,  David  Fay,  J. 
Cowell,  Samuel  Blake,  John  T.  Wright,  A.  J.  Morrell. 

Rev.  Albert  Williams  vv^as  one  of  the  organizers  and  the 
first  pastor  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  this  city, 
a  position  he  long  retained. 

John  W.  Geary  was  San  Francisco's  first  postmaster,  and 
afterward  first  alcalde  or  mayor  of  the  city.  This  was  on 
August  1,  1849.  In  his  first  message.  Mayor  Geary  called 
attention  to  the  fact  that  the  local  government  was  without 
a  place  for  the  transaction  of  its  business,  without  police 
and  without  means  for  the  care  of  the  indigent  sick  and  the 
burial  of  paupers. 

Third  Pacific  Mail  Steamer. 

The  third  steamer  to  arrive  on  the  new  line  was  the 
Panama.  She  took  the  same  course  from  New  York  as  the 
two  that  had  preceded  her,  and  arrived  at  San  Francisco 
on  June  4,  1849,  under  the  command  of  Captain  Bailey. 
She  made  the  trip  from  Panama  up  in  17  days,  against  the 
California's  trip  of  28  days. 

The  Panama  brought  290  passengers.  Among  these  were 
Hall  McAllister,  William  M.  Gwin,  Edward  Pooley,  John  A. 
Collins,  Samuel  Ward,  F.  F.  Low,  Joseph  Hooker  (afterward 
General),  Henry  B.  Livingston,  1^.  W.  McKinstry,  G.  H. 
Derby,  J.  H.  Jewett,  E.  V.  H.  Cronise  and  John  V.  Plume. 

Among  the  lady  passengers  by  the  same  steamer  were 
Mrs.  Robert  Allen,  wife  of  Major  General  Allen,  Mrs.  John 
C.  Fremont  and  Mrs.  Alfred  de  Witt. 

At  San  Diego  the  steamer  landed  the  commissioners 
selected  by  the  Government  to  locate  the  boundary  line 
between  Mexico  and  the  United  States.  John  B.  Weller  of 
Ohio,  subsequently  Governor  of  California,  was  chief  of  the 
commission. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  27 

Still  another  Governor  of  California  was  found  among 
these  passengers  in  the  person  of  F.  F.  Low,  who  also  became 
Minister  to  China  and  Superintendent  of  the  United  States 
Mint  in  this  city,  besides  being  one  of  the  managers  of  a 
local  bank. 

Hall  McAllister  and  E.  W.  McKinstry  were  prominent 
attorneys  in  their  day,  and  the  latter  was  elevated  to  a 
judgeship. 

William  M.  Gwin  was  the  first  person  chosen  to  repre- 
sent California  in  the  United  States  Senate,  and  was  promi- 
nent in  the  political  life  of  the  State  for  years. 

William  M.  Lent  and  E.  V.  H.  Cronise  took  considerable 
interest  in  mining  affairs. 

Joseph  Hooker  took  an  active  part  as  a  General  in  the 
Civil  War. 

The  Panama  called  at  Rio  on  the  way  out  from  New 
York.  Mr.  Lynde  of  this  city,  who  was  at  Rio  at  the  time, 
noticed  many  vessels  fitting  out  at  that  port  for  San  Fran- 
cisco, and  taking  from  fifty  to  two  hundred  passengers. 
This  exodus  astonished  the  Brazilians,  not  only  in  the 
number  departing,  but  also  in  the  high  character  of  the 
emigrants. 

First  Year  Under  Mail  Contract. 

Under  the  contract  with  the  Government,  the  Pacific 
Mail  Company  was  to  maintain  a  monthly  line  between 
Panama  and  the  coast  for  a  consideration  of  $200,000  per 
annum  for  carrying  the  mails. 

In  view  of  the  many  obstacles  that  had  to  be  overcome 
during  that  first  year,  some  of  which  were  entirely 
unexpected,  it  must  be  said  to  the  credit  of  the  company 
that  eleven  trips  were  made  by  the  steamers  under  its  con- 
trol. There  were  also  three  other  steamer  arrivals  from 
Panama  in  the  same  year.  The  record  arrivals  from  Panama 
in  1849  were  as  follows: 


28  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

ABBIVED.  STEAMER.  NO.  PASSENGERS. 

February  28  California    250 

April   1   ^Oregon    250 

June   4    Panama    290 

June    13    Oregon    323 

July  15   California    260 

August    18    Panama    328 

September   18   Oregon    412 

October  3  McKim   113 

October  10   California    339 

October  27  Senator    160 

October  31   ...Unicorn    166 

November  1 ...Panama    , 320 

December  1   Oregon    444 

December  29  California    304 

These  steamers  landed  3,959  passengers  at  San  Fran- 
cisco in  the  last  ten  month  of  1849. 

The  first  trip  of  the  California  was  made  in  28  days, 
while  the  three  subsequent  ones  in  the  same  year  were  made 
in  22  to  23  days.  The  Oregon  made  her  four  runs  up  in 
20  to  21  days.  The  first  trip  of  the  Panama  was  covered 
in  17  days  and  the  other  two  in  20  to  21  days. 

The  steamers  MeKim  and  Senator  were  sent  out  here  on 
speculation.  The  former  was  a  small  boat  and  a  slow  sailer, 
and  was  about  30  days  on  the  trip.  The  Senator  came  up 
in  21  days. 

The  Unicorn  was  formerly  in  the  Atlantic  trade,  a  Brit- 
ish steamer  in  the  Cunard  line,  and  was  chartered  by  the 
Pacific  Mail  Company  for  service  between  Panama  and  San 
Francisco.  She  was  650  tons  register,  and  though  much 
smaller  than  those  in  the  employ  of  the  company,  had  more 
cabin  room  and  was  therefore  better  adapted  to  the  passen- 
ger trafiic. 

Subsequently  added  passenger  accommodations  were 
placed  on  the  hurricane  decks  of  the  three  steamers  owned 
by  the  company.  The  Unicorn  was  brought  into  port  by 
Captain  Lapidge,  and  had  a  long  run  of  35  days  from 
Panama. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  .  29 

Fate  of  First  Three  Steamers. 

It  must  be  said  to  the  credit  of  the  builders  of  the  first 
three  steamers  for  the  Pacific  Mail  Company,  as  well  as  to 
those  in  charge  of  the  same  during  their  service  in  the 
Panama  trade,  that  none  of  them  came  to  an  untimely  end, 
nor  did  they  ever  meet  with  a  serious  disaster. 

The  steamer  Panama  was  the  first  to  retire  from  service. 
Her  machinery  was  removed  in  1865,  and  the  hulk  was  sent 
to  Central  America  for  storage  purposes  in  connection  with 
the  coffee  trade. 

The  steamer  Oregon  was  sold  in  1869  to  a  local  lumber 
firm,  her  machinery  removed,  and  she  was  then  converted 
into  a  bark  bearing  the  same  name,  in  which  capacity  she 
did  service  for  several  years  in  the  lumber  carrying  trade 
between  Puget  Sound  and  this  port,  and  it  was  while 
employed  in  that  trade  that  she  was  wrecked. 

The  steamer  California  made  her  last  trip  as  a  steamer 
from  San  Diego,  arriving  here  November  17,  1875.  Soon 
afterwards  her  machinery  was  removed  and  the  hulk  was 
sold  to  N.  Bichard.  She  was  then  bark  rigged,  and  was  for 
many  years  engaged  in  the  coal  and  lumber  trade. 

The  Other  Three  Steamers. 

A  good  story  is  told  of  the  steamer  McKim.  She  was  a 
propellor  of  327  tons  register,  and  in  the  summer  of  1848  was 
in  the  harbor  of  New  Orleans.  When  the  story  of  the  discov-. 
ery  of  gold  reached  that  city  it  elicited  much  interest.  Some 
printers  took  in  the  situation  and  looked  about  for  some 
means  of  transportation.  It  was  ascertained  that  the  McKim 
could  be  bought  for  $4,000  and  that  $4,000  more  would  fit 
her  for  the  voyage.  Eighty  volunteers  were  solicited,  each 
to  contribute  $100  and  buy  the  McKim. 

This  plan  having  failed,  the  owner  fitted  her  out  himself 
and  started  for  San  Francisco  via  Panama,  arriving  here 


30  (Son  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

October  3,  1849.  She  was  well  adapted  to  river  navigation, 
and  was  just  the  kind  of  craft  needed  at  that  time  for  the 
river  service  between  San  Francisco  and  Sacramento. 
Though  not  a  fast  sailer  she  could  make  a  trip  of  120  miles 
in  14  hours,  and  so  could  make  the  run  up  every  alternate 
day.  She  was  sold  for  $60,000,  and  in  three  weeks  after  her 
arrival  was  in  the  river  service,  carrying  passengers  at  $30 
for  the  trip  and  freight  at  equally  good  rates. 

The  Senator  was  in  the  Boston  trade  before  coming  here. 
She  was  a  side-wheeler  of  750  tons  register,  and  a  fast  sailer, 
and  upon  arrival  was  immediately  placed  on  the  Sacramento 
route,  alternating  with  the  McKim,  thus  forming  a  daily  and 
satisfactory  service  between  the  two  points.  She  was  under 
the  command  of  Captain  Van  Pelt. 

On  one  of  her  trips  in  November,  1849,  she  carried  250 
passengers  up  the  river.  Later,  other  steamers  were  put  in 
the  river  trade,  and  by  the  end  of  1850  there  were  21  steamers 
in  that  trade. 

Subsequently  the  Senator  was  placed  on  the  coast  trade, 
both  north  and  south  of  this  port,  and  in  the  meantime  she 
also  made  several  trips  to  Panama. 

She  had  a  variety  of  owners,  and  was  at  one  time  the 
property  of  the  Pacific  Mail  Company.  She  was  best  remem- 
bered in  the  coast  trade.  She  was  a  good  earner  and  com- 
fortable carrier.  She  made  her  last  trip  to  this  port  under 
steam  on  May  8,  1882.  Soon  after,  her  machinery  was 
removed  and  the  hull  was  bark  rigged  by  Auckland  parties 
who  had  purchased  the  same.  She  was  loaded  and  sent  to 
Auckland  in  1884. 

The  British  steamer  Unicorn  was  returned  to  England  at 
the  close  of  1851. 

Gold  Seekers  on  the  Run. 

Emigration  to  California  in  1849  was  on  a  large  scale. 
These  emigrants  represented  all  classes  and  conditions,  and 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and   Future  31 

they  came  from  all  sources,  domestic  and  foreign.  The 
steamer  service  from  Panama  was  entirely  inadequate  to  the 
demand. 

Nearly  every  steamer  from  Panama  for  San  Francisco  in 
1849  left  more  passengers  behind  than  it  took.  Even  as  late 
as  November  of  that  year  the  Oregon  left  400  passengers 
behind  at  Panama,  although  she  brought  444  on  that  trip,  the 
largest  list  of  any  steamer  for  the  year.  In  this  list  were 
thirteen  females,  an  unusually  large  number. 

Fortunately,  all  who  desired  to  come  to  California  in  that 
year  did  not  have  to  depend  on  the  Panama  steamers.  Every 
sail  vessel  on  the  Atlantic  Coast  that  could  be  pressed  into 
the  service  was  secured  and  headed  for  the  Pacific.  While 
these  vessels  were  not  fitted  up  for  carrying  passengers,  they 
all  took  as  many  as  they  could  find  any  kind  of  room  for. 

Of  the  immigrants  who  arrived  at  San  Francisco  in  1849 
it  was  estimated  that  35,000  came  by  sea,  to  which  should  be 
added  3,000  sailors  who  left  their  ships  here.  Land  arrivals 
for  the  same  year  were  put  down  at  42,000  and  the  population 
of  the  State  at  the  close  of  the  year  was  100,000. 

Competition  on  Panama  Route. 

Increased  activity  in  entering  tonnage  for  San  Francisco 
was  noted  at  the  very  beginning  of  the  year  1850.  A  new  line 
via  Panama  was  started  by  George  Law  of  New  York.  The 
Pacific  Mail  also  increased  its  fleet. 

George  Law  placed  in  the  service  the  steamers  Isthmus, 
New  Orleans  and  Republic.  The  Pacific  Mail  added  the  Ten- 
nessee, Columbia,  Northerner  and  others. 

In  addition,  outside  parties  sent  out  some  steamers  direct 
from  New  York.  Some  of  these  made  one  or  more  trips  to 
Panama  and  others  went  into  the  river  and  coast  trade.  It  is 
probable  that  some  of  the  steamers  in  the  last  named  trade 
came  out  under  sail  and  had  their  machinery  installed  upon 
arrival,  as  the  imports  included  boilers  and  engines. 


32  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

Some  of  these  small  steamers  not  noted  in  the  arrivals 
direct  from  any  point  bore  the  names  of  Captain  Sutter, 
Chesapeake,  Eudora,  Goliah,  Sea  Gull,  Mint,  and  West 
Point.  They  were  too  small  for  long  voyage  business,  but 
quite  useful  in  the  inland  waters. 

Second  Year  in  Panama  Trade. 

From    six    steamers   engaged   in   the   Panama   trade    in 

1849,  the  number  rose  to  21  in  1850  and  from  14  trips  in 
1849  there  were  41  trips  in  1850.  With  one  exception,  all 
of  the  21  steamers  brought  passengers  on  every  up  trip, 
the  number  varying  from  22  to  495,  while  the  total  number 
was  7,118,  against  3,959  in  1849. 

The  smallest  number  of  passengers  was  by  the  British 
steamer  Sarah  Sands,  chartered  by  the  Pacific  Mail,  which 
arrived  on  her  first  trip  December  17,  1850,  with  22  pas- 
sengers. 

The  steamer  Tennessee,   on  her  first  arrival,  April  14, 

1850,  brought  495  passengers,  or  75  in  excess  of  the  North- 
erner, the  next  largest  carrier.  On  her  second  trip  the 
Tennessee  had  only  195,  on  her  third  trip  7  and  on  her 
fourth  trip  65. 

The  steamer  Isthmus  made  four  trips,  as  did  the  Cali- 
fornia and  Panama.  The  Northerner  and  Oregon  made 
three  trips,  and  the  Carolina,  Columbus,  New  Orleans  and 
Republic  each  two.  All  the  others  made  only  a  single  trip. 
The  steamer  Confidence  came  up  in  ballast.  The  Columbia 
was  a  side-wheeler  which  went  into  the  Oregon  trade,  while 
the  Columbus  was  a  propellor. 

The  Equador  was  a  British  tramp  steamer,  which 
returned  to  South  America  in  1851. 

The  Gold  Hunter,  New  World,  and  Antelope  went  into 
the  Sacramento  river  trade.  The  Antelope  was  a  Staten 
Island  boat.     The   New   World  was  brought   out  by  Ned 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  33 

Wakeman,  who  reniained  in  command  for  a  time  after  she 
went  into  the  river  trade,  but  later  returned  to  deep  water 
service. 

The  steamers  Confidence  and  Ohio  came  round  the 
Horn  under  sail,  the  former  in  a  passage  of  7^/2  months 
and  the  latter  in  a  trip  of  145  days.  The  Republic  of 
George  Law's  line  was  brought  out  by  Captain  Hudson,  and 
the  propellor  Constitution  by  Lieutenant  Bissell  of  the 
United  States  Navy. 

The  British  propellor  Sarah  Sands  was  in  the  Atlantic 
trade.  A  gentleman  from  this  city  was  at  the  Battery  in 
New  York  upon  her  first  arrival  from  Europe,  when  she 
was  gaily  decorated  and  attracted  much  attention.  It  was 
his  opinion  that  she  was  the  first  iron  steamer  in  the  service. 

Despite  this  large  amount  of  steamer  tonnage  in  the 
Panama  trade  in  1850,  the  steamer  California  on  her  last 
trip  for  that  year  reported  45  sail  vessels  at  Panama,  most 
of  which  were  entere.d  out  for  San  Francisco. 

Ship  of  State  Launched. 

Perhaps  the  most  important  event  of  1850  was  not  any 
one  or  even  all  that  have  been  mentioned  in  this  story. 

The  real  event  of  that  year  was  the  admission  of  the 
State  of  California  into  the  Union.  At  the  general  election 
in  November,  1849,  a  State  Constitution  was  adopted  and 
Edward  Gilbert  and  George  W.  Wright  of  San  Francisco 
were  chosen  Congressmen.  At  the  meeting  of  the  Legis- 
lature in  January,  1850,  W.  M.  Gwin  and  J.  C.  Fremont 
were  elected  United  States  Senators. 

To  these  gentlemen  were  entrusted  the  important  service 
of  introducing  California  into  the  sisterhood  of  States  and 
of  seeing  that  she  became  a  member  of  the  glorious  Union. 

There  was  some  opposition  on  the  ground  that  she 
wanted  to  come  in  as  a  free  State.    The  vote  in  the  Senate 


34  San  Francisco's   Ocean   Trade  —  Past  and  Future 

was  taken  August  10th  and  stood  34  to  18,  and  on  the  7th 
of  September  the  House  voted  150  to  56  in  favor  of  ad- 
mission. Two  days  later  the  President  signed  the  bill  and 
the  free  States  then  claimed  a  majority  in  the  Senate. 

The  ship  of  State  as  represented  by  California,  entered 
the  Union  September  9,  1850,  under  full  sail,  and  has  since 
successfully  weathered  every  storm. 

News  of  this  event  came  to  hand  soon  afterwards,  but 
the  details  were  withheld  until  they  could  be  brought  by 
steamer,  and  the  arrival  of  such  steamer  was  waited  rather 
impatiently. 

The  captain  of  the  steamer  having  these  details  was 
instructed  to  fire  signal  guns  on  approaching  the  harbor. 
On  the  morning  of  the  18th  of  October  such  guns  were 
heard,  and  all  the  population  of  the  town  rushed  for  the 
water  front  and  other  eligible  sites. 

It  was  given  to  the  Oregon,  Captain  R.  H.  Pearson,  U.  S. 
N.,  to  be  the  bearer  of  the  glorious  news,  and  both  he  and  all 
the  other  officers,  and  even  the  city  itself,  seemed  to  realize 
the  importance  of  the  errand. 

The  scene  that  followed  the  appearance  of  the  steamer 
off  Clark's  Point  was  one  never  to  be  forgotten  by  those 
who  participated  in  the  same.  Extras  published  an  hour 
after  the  arrival  were  readily  sold  at  from  one  to  five 
dollars. 

The  9th  of  September  has  been  annually  commemorated 
ever  since,  and  in  1880  Governor  Perkins,  under  authority 
of  the  Constitution,  set  apart  that  date  as  a  legal  holiday, 
and  that  has  been  the  rule  ever  since. 

Isthmus   Service  Increased. 

The  year  1851  developed  a  further  increase  in  the  steam 
service  between  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  and  San  Francisco. 
Instead  of  one  line  with  six  steamers  and  fourteen  trips. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  35 

as  in  1849,  and  two  lines  with  twenty-one  steamers  and 
forty-one  trips,  as  in  1860,  there  were  thirty  steamers  and 
seventy-four  trips  in  the  four  lines  in  operation  in  1851. 

The  year  was  a  stirring  one  in  the  history  of  San  Fran- 
cisco. Perhaps  the  most  prominent  events  in  1851  were 
the  foundation  and  work  of  the  Vigilance  Committee,  which 
sought  to  minimize  the  criminal  element,  and  the  first  big 
fire  on  record. 

The  losses  by  this  fire  were  heavy.  Among  other  public 
buildings  destroyed  was  the  Customs  House,  and  with  it 
went  all  the  official  records  of  tonnage,  passenger  and  mer- 
chandise movements  for  1849,  1850  and  the  first  half  of  1851. 
The  newspaper  files  for  that  period  furnished  the  only  infor- 
mation along  those  lines  that  has  since  been  available  to 
writers  for  the  press  and  historians.  It  is  fortunate  that 
even  that  much  has  been  saved. 

The  Pacific  Mail  Company  established  a  semi-monthly 
service  in  1851  and  two  new  lines  were  also  established. 
One  of  these  new  enterprises  was  known  as  the  J.  Howard 
&  Son's  line  and  the  other  was  the  Nicaraguan,  or  Van- 
derbilt  line. 

The  last  named  line  on  this  side  consisted  of  two 
steamers  sent  out  from  New  York  to  run  from  San  Juan 
to  San  Francisco.  These  were  the  Independence  and  Nortli 
America.  On  her  first  trip  the  former  came  here  direct 
from  Panama  under  command  of  Captain  Tibbitts.  She 
arrived  here  on  July  11th  with  100  passengers.  On  her 
second  trip  up  she  hailed  from  San  Juan  and  was  in 
charge  of  Captain  Ned  Wakeman,  and  brought  55  passen- 
gers. On  her  second  trip  from  San  Juan  she  had  200 
passengers. 

The  North  America,  under  command  of  Captain 
Blethen,  arrived  here  on  her  first  trip  from  Panama  via 
San  Juan  October  2d  with  240  passengers.     She  made  one 


36  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

other  trip  up  that  year,  arriving  here  November  28th  with 
360  passengers,  an  evidence  that  she  was  popular  with  the 
traveling  public. 

Some  time  in  1850  the  Pacific  Mail  Company  let  a  con- 
tract for  a  much  larger  steamer  than  any  in  the  Isthmus 
service.  This  steamer  was  launched  and  sent  to  Panama 
in  1851.  This  was  the  Golden  Gate,  2,067  tons  register, 
just  double  the  size  of  the  original  three  built  for  the 
company  in  1848. 

The  Golden  Gate  was  under  the  command  of  Carlisle  P. 
Patterson  of  the  United  States  Navy.  She  made  the  trip 
from  New  York  via  the  Straits  of  Magellan  in  64  days  and 
9  hours  and  131/2  days  from  Panama,  arriving  at  San  Fran- 
cisco November  19,  1851,  with  458  passengers. 

This  was  the  fourth  steamer  built  for  the  Pacific  Mail 
Company,  and  she  was  up  to  date  in  every  respect,  being 
regarded  as  the  equal  of  the  best  side-wheeler  afloat  at 
that  time. 

In  the  list  of  arrivals  from  the  Isthmus  in  1851  were 
thirteen  steamers  that  had  never  before  been  in  that  service. 
One  of  these  was  the  Pacific,  which,  after  making  two  trips 
up  from  Panama,  was  placed  on  the  Nicaraguan  route, 
arriving  here  for  the  first  time  in  that  service  on  October 
16th  with  250  passengers. 

Isthmus  Passengers  for  Third  Year, 
t 

Mention  has  been  made  of  the  number  of  passengers 
arriving  by  steamer  from  the  Isthmus  in  1849  and  1850. 
It  is  now  in  order  to  report  the  number  of  1851,  which  was 
13,079.  The  writer  has  these  lists  for  those  three  years  as 
copied  from  the  manifests,  showing  the  number  on  each 
steamer,  but  not  the  names. 

Three  of  the  steamers  in  1851  had  no  passengers  and 
several  others  had  less  than  100.     One  had  only  7.     The 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  37 

larger  and  more  prominent  steamers  had  from  100  to  600. 
The  Tennessee  on  her  last  trip  for  the  year  brought  the 
record  number. 

The  Tennessee  made  six  trips  up  that  year,  the  Oregon 
and  Panama  each  five ;  the  California,  Columbus,  Isthmus, 
Pacific  and  Republic  each  four ;  the  Carolina,  Independence, 
New  Orleans  and  Northerner  each  three;  the  Antelope,' 
Columbia,  Constitution,  Gold  Hunter,  Monumental  City, 
North  America,  Sarah  Sands  and  Union  each  two,  and  the 
remainder  a  single  trip. 

Among  the  new  steamers  in  the  trade  in  1851  were  the 
Commodore,  Commodore  Stockton,  Massachusetts,  Monumen- 
tal City,  Washington  and  Wilson  G.  Hunt  from  domestic 
Atlantic  ports;  Fremont,  Gold  Hunter  and  Union  from 
Mexico  and  Central  America,  and  British  steamer  Concide 
from  Havre. 

Tonnage  on  the  Rivers. 

Most  of  these  vessels  went  into  the  river  trade  immedi- 
ately upon  arrival,  and  proved  both  useful  to  the  public 
and  profitable  to  the  owners. 

Steamer  traffic  on  the  Sacramento  and  San  Joaquin 
rivers  in  those  early  years  attracted  quite  as  much  atten- 
tion as  did  the  passenger  steamers  in  the  Isthmus  trade. 

These  were  the  only  practical  routes  for  reaching  the 
mining  district  to  the  north  and  east  of  San  Francisco.  This 
was  the  primal  base  for  all  supplies  dependable  upon  water 
transportation.  All  cargoes  from  coast,  domestic  Atlantic 
and  foreign  ports  were  discharged  here,  and  the  unloading 
of  the  many  vessels  rushed  here  with  cargoes  of  merchandise 
and  produce  of  all  descriptions  gave  to  the  water  front 
daily  scenes  of  great  activity. 

Large  consignments  of  these  goods  were  hurried  to  the 
interior  by  the  river  boats,  which  went  to  the  limits  of 
navigation. 


38  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

Treasure  seekers  arrived  in  San  Francisco  by  the  hun- 
dreds and  thousands,  but  comparatively  few  of  them 
remained.  The  great  mass  sought  the  earliest  opportuni- 
ties to  get  to  the  front,  and  paid  well  for  passage  on  the 
river  boats. 

Events  of  Fourth  Year. 

Among  the  steamers  first  mentioned  in  the  Isthmue  lines 
in  1852  were  the  Brother  Jonathan,  Cortez,  S.  S.  Lewis  and 
Winfield  Scott.  The  first  named  were  placed  on  the  Nicara- 
guan  route.  The  Winfield  Scott  was  consigned  to  Macon- 
dray  &  Co.,  and  ran  as  an  independent  boat  for  a  time, 
making  three  trips  that  year. 

The  New  Orleans  was  running  in  a  line  known  as  the 
Empire  City.  Captain  Budd  brought  out  the  Brother  Jona- 
than and  Captain  Cropper  was  in  command  of  the  Cortez. 
Both  were  in  the  Panama  as  well  as  in  the  San  Juan  trade. 

R.  Vandewater  was  the  first  agent  of  the  Nicaraguan 
line  in  this  city.  He  was  succeeded  by  L.  M.  Cross  in  1852, 
and  D.  Bingham  was  his  successor. 

In  October,  1853,  C.  K.  Garrison  took  the  agency.  He 
had  previously  been  Vanderbilt's  agent  at  San  Juan.  Two 
or  three  new  steamers  had  been  added,  and  a  vigorous  oppo- 
sition was  waged  against  the  Pacific  Mail. 

Mr.  Garrison  became  quite  popular  with  the  general 
public  and  was  elected  mayor  of  the  city  in  September, 
1853. 

Loss  of  North  America — Vanderbilt  Line. 

The  burning  of  the  steamer  North  America  at  San  Juan 
about  the  1st  of  January,  1852,  was  the  first  serious  loss 
among  the  Isthmus  steamers.  This  steamer  was  placed  on 
the  San  Juan  route  in  1851,  arriving  here  on  her  first  trip 
October  2d,  and  on  her  second  trip  in  November. 

Soon  after  her  return  to  San  Juan  from  this  port,  and 
while  she  was  being  prepared  for  her  third  voyage  to  San 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  —  Past  and  Future  39 

Francisco,  she  was  burned.  At  the  time  she  was  waiting 
the  arrival  of  the  Northern  Light  from  New  York  at  Grey- 
town  with  1,500  passengers.  When  these  reached  San  Juan 
and  learned  of  the  loss  there  was  great  disappointment.  In 
crossing,  some  had  sickened  and  died,  and  others  died  at 
San  Juan  before  relief  came. 

When  the  Pacific  Mail  Company's  steamer  Golden  Gate 
came  off  port,  and  the  people  were  informed  that  her  accom- 
modations were  all  taken,  they  were  simply  furious,  and  it 
was  planned  to  capture  the  steamer  and  compel  the  officers 
to  take  at  least  the  women  and  children. 

But  for  the  arrival  just  then  of  the  relief  steamer  S.  S. 
Lewis  the  threat  would  have  been  executed.  When  the 
Lewis  arrived  at  San  Francisco  on  July  9,  1852,  she  reported 
only  653  passengers. 

More  Steamers  Arrive. 

Of  the  new  steamers  run  for  the  first  time  between  the 
Isthmus  and  San  Francisco  in  1853,  the  following  three 
are  noted :   Sierra  Nevada,  John  L.  Stephens  and  Uncle  Sam. 

The  Sierra  Nevada  arrived  on  her  first  trip  from  Panama 
on  March  23d  under  command  of  Captain  Wilson,  who 
reported  a  trip  of  14  days.  She  went  into  the  Nicaraguan 
line,  and  made  five  trips  from  San  Juan  that  year,  two 
of  which  were  performed  in  11  and  11%  days,  respectively. 
This  time  has  rarely  been  equaled,  and  so  far  as  can  be 
remembered  never  surpassed. 

The  John  L.  Stephens  was  brought  out  from  New  York 
by  Lieutenant  Carlisle  P.  Patterson  and  arrived  at  San 
Francisco  on  April  3d  in  a  trip  of  14  days  from  Panama. 
She  was  also  a  fast  boat,  with  an  oscillating  engine  which 
seemed  to  go  all  over  her.  She  once  made  the  trip  in  11 
days.  Her  rig  was  peculiar,  the  two  masts  being  set  far 
apart.     Stopping  at  Rio,  the  British  admiral  noticed  this 


40  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

feature  and  sent  his  compliments  to  the  commander,  saying 
that  he  had  a  spare  mast  that  he  would  give  him. 

Lieutenant  Patterson  thanked  the  admiral  for  his  cour- 
tesy, but  said  his  vessel  was  rigged  according  to  the  wishes 
of  its  owners.  The  John  L.  Stephens  cost  $153,000  and  was 
a  very  profitable  boat  in  its  best  days. 

The  Uncle  Sam  was  brought  out  by  Captain  Mills,  and 
arrived  here  for  the  first  time  September  19,  1853,  and  was 
the  pioneer  of  what  was  afterwards  known  as  the  Cross  & 
Mills  line,  of  which  G.  B.  Post  was  for  a  time  agent. 

The  Yankee  Blade,  Captain  Randall,  which  arrived  here 
in  1854  from  Panama,  went  into  the  Cross  &  Mills  line. 

Other  American  steamers  arriving  here  in  1854  were  the 
America,  Mitchell,  84  days  from  New  York;  Arispa  (pro- 
pellor),  Wilcox,  159  days  from  Philadelphia;  Sonora,  Whit- 
ing, from  New  York  via  Panama;  Golden  Age,  Dow,  via 
England,  Australia  and  Panama;  Underwriter,  Nash,  in 
ballast  from  Philadelphia,  and  Surprise,  Wakeman,  from 
New  York. 

The  America  was  immediately  put  in  the  Oregon  trade 
by  Vandewater.  The  Arispa  was  placed  in  the  North  Coast 
trade.  The  Sonora  and  Golden  Age  were  placed  in  the 
Panama  trade  by  the  Pacific  Mail  Company. 

The  steamer  Golden  Age  was  first  sent  to  England  as  a 
speculative  venture.  In  going  into  port  at  Liverpool  she 
damaged  the  wharf  considerably,  but  when  placed  in  dock 
was  found  to  be  only  slightly  injured,  though  at  the  time 
of  collision  she  was  under  much  headway. 

From  England  she  was  sent  to  Australia,  and  somewhere 
on  the  voyage  out,  or  just  after  her  arrival,  she  was  pur- 
chased by  the  Pacific  Mail  Company  as  a  companion  to  the 
Golden  Gate,  being  about  the  same  tonnage.  She  was  imme- 
diately headed  for  Panama,  and  remained  in  that  trade  for 
several  years,  both  being  the  most  capacious  boats  on  the 
route  in  1854. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  41 

Among  the  fareign  steamers  arriving  in  1854  were  the 
Otter  from  Victoria  and  the  Polynesia  from  Honolulu,  both 
under  the  British  flag. 

The  following  steamers,  not  previously  mentioned,  were 
in  operation  in  the  domestic  Pacific  Coast  trade  in  1854; 
Crescent  City,  Major  Tompkins,  Peytona,  Sea  Bird,  South- 
erner, Thomas  Hunt,  Humboldt  and  Willamette. 

Loss  of  Yankee  Blade. 

The  second  serious  disaster  in  the  Panama  steam  lines 
was  the  loss  of  the  Yankee  Blade  in  the  Cross  &  Mills  line. 

Like  the  North  America  in  Vanderbilt's  line,  this  steamer 
had  a  short  history  and  a  tragic  end,  and  both  at  the  time 
were  in  command  of  the  men  who  brought  them  out  from 
the  East. 

The  Yankee  Blade  arrived  here  in  1854  and  made  three 
trips  from  Panama  to  this  port  in  that  year,  arriving  for 
the  third  time  on  August  30th.  On  September  30th  three 
steamers  sailed  from  this  port  for  the  Isthmus.  These 
were  the  Cortez  for  San  Juan,  and  the  Sonora  and  Yankee 
Blade  for  Panama. 

On  that  trip  out  the  Yankee  Blade  had  819  passengers, 
including  32  females  and  31  children.  It  was  suspected 
that  in  addition  there  were  30  to  50  stowaways. 

Soon  after  passing  out  to  sea  a  dense  fog  was  encoun- 
tered, and  at  3  p.  m.  October  1st  the  vessel  struck  violently 
on  a  reef  off  Point  Arguello,  ten  miles  northwest  of  Cape 
Concepcion.  The  attempt  to  back  her  off  fortunately  failed, 
as  she  would  have  sunk  immediately.  In  the  launching  of 
the  first  boat,  18  were  drowned.  The  others  were  taken  off 
safely  and  landed  at  San  Diego.  The  vessel  disappeared 
in  the  deep  water. 


42  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

Other  Changes  in  First  Decade. 

In  1851,  the  Britisli  steamers  Ecuador  and  Unicom  were 
returned  to  their  home  ports,  the  former  in  South  America 
and  the  latter  in  England,  and  the  General  Warren  and 
'Major  Tompkins  were  wrecked,  the  former  off  the  Colorado 
river  bar. 

In  1852  the  British  steamer  Sarah  Sands,  a  propellor 
that  George  Law  brought  out  from  England,  and  which  was 
nearly  a  year  in  getting  here  from  New  York,  was  sent 
back,  and  the  North  America  was  burned  at  San  Juan,  as 
already  mentioned. 

In  1853,  the  Ohio  was  sent  to  South  America  and  the 
Thomas  Hunt  to  China. 

In  1854,  the  Tennessee,  which  performed  satisfactory 
service  in  the  Panama  passenger  trade  in  1850,  1851,  1852 
and  1853,  was  wrecked  in  1854,  while  under  the  command 
of  Captain  Melius,  on  the  Northern  California  coast  at  a 
point  since  known  as  Tennessee  Cove. 

Other  steamers  wrecked  in  the  same  year  were  the 
Arispa,  S.  S.  Lewis,  Union,  Winfield  Scott  and  Yankee 
Blade.  The  Arispa  met  her  disaster  near  Fort  Ross.  The 
S.  S.  Lewis  went  to  grief  on  Duxbury  reef.  The  Union  met 
her  fate  at  San  Quentin.  The  Winfield  Scott  went  ashore 
at  Point  Ano  Nuevo.  She  was  hauled  off  and  sold  to  the 
Pacific  Mail  Company.  The  new  owners  put  her  in  sea- 
worthy condition,  gave  the  command  to  Captain  Blunt,  and 
after  receiving  cargo,  she  was  cleared  for  Panama,  but  was 
lost  on  the  Anacapa  Island  in  the  Santa  Barbara  channel, 
and  it  is  reported  that  Captain  Blunt  died  shortly  after 
broken-hearted. 

In  the  same  year  the  Commodore  Stockton  was  sent  to 
South  America  and  the  Monumental  City  and  New  Orleans 
to  Australia. 

It  was  reported  that  the  last  named  steamer  was  theoret- 
icallv  in  the  hands  of  the  sheriff  on  the  other  side,  and 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  43 

that  Ned  Wakeman  jumped  aboard  and  gave  the  officer 
the  slip. 

In  1855,  the  Carolina,  a  screw  steamer  which  had  been 
used  as  a  tug  by  Millen  Griffith,  was  sold  and  sent  to 
Calcutta,  and  the  Chesapeake  was  -wrecked. 

In  the  same  year  the  British  steamers  Peytona  and  Poly- 
nesian were  sent  to  Chile.  Both  were  propellers  and  were 
built  at  Philadelphia  for  account  of  R.  F.  Loper.  They  were 
intended  for  a  line  between  Honolulu  and  Portland,  with 
San  Francisco  as  a  port  of  call.  The  Polynesian  once  left 
Honolulu  for  Portland  in  company  with  the  schooner 
Vaquero,  but  was  outdistanced  by  the  sail. 

Four  disasters  were  reported  in  1855,  when  the  America, 
Independence  and  S.  B.  Wheeler  were  wrecked  and  the 
Underwriter  was  burned.  The  Independence  went  ashore 
on  Margarita  Island,  when  she  took  jQre  and  burned. 

The  Underwriter  was  a  new  tug  sent  out  from  the  East 
via  the  Horn,  for  account  of  Harry  Meiggs,  and  intended 
for  his  lumber  mill- service  at  Mendocino,  but  before  her 
arrival  Harry  had  skipped  to  South  America.  She  was  tied 
up  her  for  two  years  and  then  sent  to  China,  where  she  was 
destroyed  by  fire. 

No  disasters  were  reported  in  1857,  but  they  were  some- 
what prolific  in  1858,  when  the  Cortez  and  Sea  Bird  were 
burned  and  the  Sea  Gull  and  West  Point  were  wrecked. 
The  McKim,  having  outlived  its  usefulness,  was  broken  up. 

In  1859,  the  Santa  Cruz,  which  went  into  service  in  1853, 
was  burned. 

The  little  steamer  Fremont,  built  in  the  East  in  1850  and 
brought  to  this  coast  in  1851,  is  still  in  existence,  though 
not  at  present  in  active  service  and  no  longer  a  steamer, 
her  machinery  having  been  removed  many  years  ago.  Of 
late  years  she  has  been  employed  in  the  Bering  Sea  codfish 
trade,  annually  bringing  good  cargoes  of  fish  to  San  Fran- 
cisco. 


44  San  Francisco's  Ocean   Trade — Past  and  Future 

Slow  Steamer  Makes  Fast  Time. 

A  good  story  is  told  of  the  Chesapeake,  a  large  pro- 
peller, suitable  for  either  coast  or  river  service.  She  had 
been  purchased  by  Mr.  Vassault  for  $5,000,  and  Captain 
Brenham  was  given  a  quarter  interest  in  her.  No  sooner 
had  this  bargain  been  completed  than  another  would-be 
purchaser  came  to  the  front  in  the  person  of  Mr.  Wain- 
wright.  Asking  the  price,  he  was  told  that  he  could  have 
the  steamer  for  $25,000,  which  was  a  pretty  stiff  advance, 
though  in  the  interval  the  Gold  Bluff  mining  excitement  at 
Eureka,  in  Humboldt  county,  had  developed  a  good  demand 
for  steamers.  Before  accepting  the  offer,  Mr.  Wainwright 
insisted  on  a  test  of  speed.  This  was  considered  a  reason- 
able request,  and  Captain  Brenham  readily  responded. 
Quietly  taking  the  steamer  to  Mission  Bay,  and  waiting  for 
the  usually  strong  ebb  tide  to  get  busy,  the  steamer  was 
started  for  the  test  trial  along  the  water  front  and  toward  the 
Golden  Gate.  Being  in  ballast,  it  is  said  that  she  went  by 
the  trial  commission  with  all  the  speed  of  a  railway  train 
under  a  full  head  of  steam.  Of  course,  Mr.  Wainwright 
took  the  steamer.  He  immediately  secured  a  charter  for  her 
to  make  a  trip  to  the  Gold  Bluff  mines  for  $6,000,  but  it  took 
her  a  month  to  complete  the  trip  usually  made  in  three  days. 

Panama  Railroad. 

For  the  first  six  years  after  the  gold  discovery  had  been 
made  public,  the  crossing  of  the  Isthmus  between  the  Atlan- 
tic and  Pacific  oceans  was  attended  with  many  risks  and 
hardships  and  at  much  expense.  An  early  effort  was  made 
to  minimize  these  obstacles. 

A  route  across  the  Isthmus  was  located  by  Colonel  Hughes, 
and  the  engineering  was  conducted  by  Colonel  Totten.  The 
extreme  length  of  this  route  between  Aspinwall  on  the 
Atlantic  side  and  Panama  on  the  Pacific  was  49  miles. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  45 

As  soon  as  these  preliminaries  were  completed,  a  com- 
pany was  incorporated  in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  on  April  7,  1849, 
to  build  a  railroad  on  the  survey  made.  Work  was  begun 
in  1850,  and  at  one  time  as  many  as  5,000  men  were 
employed.  The  cost  of  the  enterprise  was  estimated  at 
$5,000,000,  but  the  actual  outlay  was  $7,500,000. 

The  road  was  opened  on  January  28,  1855.  For  the  first 
few  years  the  transportation  averaged  31,000  passengers, 
66,000  tons  freight  and  $55,000,000  in  gold  per  annum,  net- 
ting an  income  of  $1,300,000  at  an  expense  of  $350,000. 

The  completion  of  this  road  was  an  important  event, 
and  meant  very  much  to  the  Pacific  Coast  and  indirectly 
to  the  whole  country.  The  improvement  was  a  costly  one, 
both  in  treasure  and  in  the  sacrifice  of  life  in  its  construc- 
tion, on  account  of  inhospitable  climate  and  unsanitary  con- 
ditions. The  mortality  among  those  engaged  in  the  work  was 
fearful.  Before  the  road  was  finished  a  portion  had  to  be 
rebuilt  because  of  the  miry  character  of  the  ground  in  some 
places. 

The  cost  of  the  road  was  excessive  and  a  severe  tax  on 
the  faith  and  courage  of  the  promoters.  Railway  builders 
consider  that  they  go  near  the  limit  when  the  expense 
amounts  to  $50,000  per  mile.  But  in  this  case  the  estimate 
was  $100,000  per  mile,  while  the  actual  outlay  was  $150,000 
per  mile. 

The  most  expensive  part  of  the  road  was  the  iron  bridge 
spanning  the  Chagres  river,  which  rests  on  stone  abutments 
and  cost  $500,000. 

Probably  no  road  of  equal  length  in  any  part  of  the 
world  has  been  more  appreciated  or  remunerative. 

Crossing  the  Isthmus  in  the  early  days  before  the  com- 
pletion of  the  railroad  was  attended  with  many  scenes  both 
droll  and  dreary,  pathetic  and  tragic. 

Tickets  for  San  Francisco  did  not  include  transit  across 


46  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  FtUure 

the  Isthmus,  and  sometimes  very  high  prices  were  paid, 
from  $50  to  $75  for  a  single  person,  including  baggage. 

Necessary  supplies  in  crossing  were  charged  for  according 
to  the  supposed  ability  of  those  requiring  them,  and  often 
paid  for  according  to  common  sense  rates  without  much 
regard  to  the  prices  asked. 

One  of  the  first  group  of  emigrants  to  cross  wanted  a 
chicken  for  a  sick  woman.  This  was  procured  for  fifty 
cents,  but  the  natives  demanded  two  dollars  for  the  loan 
of  the  kettle  in  which  to  cook  it,  and  received  twenty-five 
cents  and  a  wave  of  the  hand  to  be  off  and  say  no  more 
about  it  or  there  would  be  trouble. 

There  was  general  complaint  about  the  food  and  fare 
on  the  early  steamers.  Some  of  these  were  no  doubt  well 
founded.  Wormy  bread  was  sometimes  detected  in  the 
steerage,  and  the  men  organized  themselves  and  demanded 
at  least  wholesome  food. 

It  was  noticed,  however,  that  passengers  who  returned 
home  in  the  early  fifties  made  less  complaint  about  poor 
food  and  accommodations  than  the  same  people  did  in 
coming  out.  This  rough  camp  life  in  California  helped 
them  to  appreciate  steamboat  fare,  poor  as  that  might  be. 

There  was  much  speculation  in  tickets  both  at  Panama 
and  San  Francisco.  High  premiums  were  often  exacted  and 
paid.  In  the  winter  of  1849,  steerage  tickets  from  San 
Francisco  to  New  York  were  $150,  and  some  of  these  were 
resold  as  high  as  $450,  because  of  anxiety  to  return  home. 

Parties  who  had  not  come  through  from  New  York  on 
the  regular  lines  had  to  resort  to  all  sorts  of  measures  to 
get  even  steerage  passage  from  Panama  to  San  Francisco, 
and  some  hard-up  cabin  passengers  sold  their  berths  for 
big  sums  and  went  to  the  steerage,  so  that  they  might 
have  money  upon  arrival  at  San  Francisco. 

The  above  are  only  a  very  few  of  the  illustrations  of 
similar  character  that  might  be   cited  to  show  what  men 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — PaM  and  Future  47 

will  do  and  sacrifice  iu  their  search  for  gold.  The  comple- 
tion of  the  Panama  railroad  eliminated  a  repetition  of  these 
experiences  on  the  Isthmus. 

Suspension  of  San  Juan  Service. 

Two  causes  led  to  the  temporary  suspension  of  the 
steamers  between  San  Juan  and  San  Francisco.  Evidently 
one  of  these  was  the  opening  of  the  Panama  railroad,  which 
gave  travelers  easy,  comfortable  and  economical  transit 
across  the  Isthmus,  thus  shortening  the  time  between  New 
York  and  San  Francisco. 

The  other  was  the  seizure  of  the  Vanderbilt  steamers  at 
San  Juan  by  Walker,  the  filibuster.  This  was  near  the  close 
of  the  year.  Garrison,  however,  who  had  been  Vanderbilt 's 
agent  at  San  Juan,  owned  the  Sierra  Nevada,  and  his 
steamer  was  not  molested  by  Walker.  The  Sierra  Nevada 
made  seven  trips  from  San  Juan  in  1856,  but  only  one  in 
1857.  The  last  one  ended  at  San  Francisco  in  February  of 
that  year.  She  was  then  withdrawn.  The  only  other 
steamer  from  San  Juan  in  that  year  arrived  at  San  Fran- 
cisco in  the  same  month,  and  was  then  transferred  to  the 
Panama  service. 

The  San  Juan  route  was  reopened  in  1863  by  W.  H. 
Webb,  who  placed  in  the  service  the  steamers  America  and 
Moses  Taylor.    The  latter  was  known  as  the  rolling  Moses. 

For  a  time  these  steamers  were  commanded  by  T.  H. 
Morton  and  J.  K.  Blethen.  Subsequently  and  for  some  time 
afterwards,  the  America  was  in  charge  of  William  L.  Merry, 
of  San  Francisco.  In  1887-8  and  1888-9,  Mr.  Merry  was 
president  of  the  San  Francisco  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and 
later  for  many  years  the  United  States  Minister  to  Nic- 
aragua. 

The  San  Juan  route  was  finally  abandoned  in  1868.  Ser- 
vice on  that  route  began  in  1851,  when  six  trips  were  made 


48  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

to  San  Francisco.  In  the  next  four  years  the  ships  varied 
from  21  to  25,  dropping  to  16  in  1855  and  2  in  1857. 

After  a  suspension  of  service  for  five  years,  the  route  was 
reopened  in  1863,  and  five  trips  were  made  in  that  and  the 
following  year,  with  11  in  1865  and  12  and  17,  respectively, 
in  the  following  two  years,  and  4  trips  in  1868,  when  the 
service  was  permanently  dissolved  and  the  steamers  engaged 
in  the  last  year  were  run  to  Panama. 

The  total  number  of  steamer  arrivals  at  San  Francisco 
from  1851  to  1868,  both  years  inclusive,  on  the  San  Juan 
route  was  171,  representing  215,643  tons  of  tonnage.  Some 
of  these  steamers  came  by  way  of  Panama. 

Numerous  Isthmus  Lines. 
From  a  single  line  employing  three  steamers  in  1849 
in  the  Isthmus  and  San  Francisco  trade,  the  business  grew 
in  a  few  years  to  some  half  a  dozen  lines  and  over  a  score 
of  steamers. 

According  to  the  San  Francisco  directory  for  September, 
1852,  there  were  four  lines  in  operation  at  that  time,  namely, 
Pacific  Mail  Company,  Vanderbilt  line.  Empire  City  line 
and  the  New  line.  Three  other  lines  previously  in  operation 
were  those  of  George  Law,  John  Howard  &  Son  and  Cross 
&  Mills. 

Some  of  these  lines  started  in  opposition  to  the  Pacific 
Mail  Company  were  of  short  duration,  but  before  one 
fairly  dropped  out  another  took  its  place.  Some  of  these 
steamers  came  into  direct  competition  with  the  Pacific  Mail 
line,  but  most  of  them  were  harmless  rivals,  content  to  take 
the  overflow  of  the  passenger  traffic. 

In  1852  and  again  in  1853  there  were  70  arrivals  at  San 
Francisco  from  the  Isthmus,  as  represented  by  the  four  lines 
then  in  operation.  The  arrivals  from  1851  to  1853,  both 
years  inclusive,  were  more  numerous  than  for  any  similar 
period  in  the  history  of  the  service. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  49 

Lull  in  Sfeamer  Movement. 

For  some  years  subsequent  to  1854  the  new  steamers 
added  to  the  Isthmus  lines  were  not  plentiful.  Not  a  single 
one  is  remembered  in  1855  and  only  one  in  1856. 

This  was  the  Orizaba,  1,244  tons,  brought  out  from  New 
York  by  Captain  Tinklepaugh,  who  in  1863  commanded  the 
steamer  Ariel  of  the  Vanderbilt  line  between  New  York  and 
Aspinwall. 

The  Orizaba  arrived  at  San  Francisco  on  her  first  trip  of 
11  days  from  San  Juan  in  October,  1856.  She  made  two 
other  trips  from  the  same  port,  and  then  was  placed  on  the 
Panama  route. 

After  her  permanent  withdrawal  from  the  Isthmus  ser- 
vice, she  was  run  for  many  years  in  the  San  Diego  trade, 
and  was  one  of  the  last  of  the  side-wheelers  to  leave  the 
field.    She  was  dismantled  in  1887. 

In  June  ,  1859,  the  steamer  Washington,  1,640  tons,  157 
days  from  New  York  and  17  days  from  Panama,  made  her 
first  appearance  in  this  harbor,  with  266  passengers.  She 
was  subsequently  run  for  a  short  time  on  the  Panama  route 
and  was  broken  up  in  1862. 

In  1860  there  were  four  steamers  sent  out  from  New 
York  to  this  coast.  These  were  the  Champion,  Granada, 
Moses  Taylor  and  Oregonian.  The  last  named  two  were 
placed  in  the  Panama  service. 

The  Granada  was  brought  out  by  Captain  Howes  as  an 
opposition  steamer.  She  was  1,095  tons,  and  reported  her- 
self as  90  days  from  New  York  and  20  days  from  Valparaiso. 
She  came  in  sight  of  the  port,  but  never  entered,  having 
run  on  the  rocks  near  Fort  Point. 

The  Champion  was  1,419  tons,  and  was  entered  as  16 
days  from  Panama  with  400  passengers,  consigned  to  Wright 
&  Baldwin.  This  was  the  first  iron  side-wheeler  to  visit  this 
coast,  and  was  slow  and  sure. 


50  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

Two  steamers  from  the  outside  came  to  hand  in  1861. 
These  were  the  Hermann,  1,734  tons,  from  Japan  via  Vic- 
toria, and  the  St.  Louis,  1,621  tons,  from  New  York.  Both 
were  owned  by  the  Pacific  Mail  Company.  The  St.  Louis 
reported  79  days  from  New  York  via  Panama.  Both  were 
in  the  Panama  trade  for  a  time.  The  Hermann  was  finally 
sent  to  Japan,  where  she  was  wrecked  in  1869.  The  St. 
Louis  was  broken  up  in  1870. 

Retirements  in  Second  Decade. 

From  1860  to  1869,  quite  a  decimation  was  effected  in  the 
list  of  steamers  employed  in  the  foreign  trade  of  San  Fran- 
cisco. 

In  1860,  the  Granada,  Labourche,  Northerner  and  South- 
erner were  wrecked  and  the  Confidence  was  dismantled  and 
turned  into  a  barge. 

The  Labourche  was  under  the  British  flag  and  came  in 
from  British  Columbia  in  1859.  She  belonged  to  the  Hudson 
Bay  Company  and  her  engines  were  built  for  the  exhibition 
in  London  in  1851.  The  hulk  was  built  of  teak  and  oak  on 
the  Clyde,  and  her  cost  was  $175,000.  She  was  wrecked  off 
Point  Reyes  in  1860. 

The  Southerner  was  known  as  the  Isthmus  in  1850.  She 
was  wrecked  off  Cape  Flattery. 

The  Surprise  was  in  this  port  in  1854,  and  was  burned 
in  China  in  1861. 

In  1862,  the  propeller  Champion  returned  to  New  York, 
the  Columbia  was  burned  in  China  and  the  Washington  was 
broken  up. 

After  her  arrival  in  China  the  Columbia  was  put  under 
the  British  flag,  and  this  seemed  to  be  an  incongruity  for 
a  steamer  bearing  that  name. 

So  far  as  can  be  remembered,  there  was  no  disaster  to  the 
local    deep   water   steamers   in    1863    or    1864.      The    most 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  51 

distressing  event  in  1865  was  the  loss  of  the  Brother 
Jonathan.  At  the  time  this  vessel  was  the  property  of  the 
California  Steam  Navigation  Company,  and  was  on  her  way 
from  San  Francisco  to  Victoria  with  109  passengers  and  a 
crew  of  54,  with  Captain  DeWolf  in  command.  A  full 
account  of  this  disaster  will  be  found  on  another  page. 

The  Republic  was  broken  up  in  the  same  year.  The 
Columbus  was  wrecked  in  1866,  the  John  T.  Wright  was 
burned  in  1867,  and  the  Forward  and  Oregonian  were 
wrecked  in  1868. 

In  1869,  the  steamers  Gold  Hunter,  Hermann,  Sierra 
Nevada  and  Tynemouth  (British)  were  wrecked.  The 
America,  which  arrived  in  1856,  was  burned  at  Panama 
in  1869. 

Turn  in  Pacific  Mail  Affairs. 

After  about  a  dozen  years  of  fair  prosperity  had  been 
enjoyed,  the  managers  of  the  Pacific  Mail  Company  were 
confronted  with  what  -appeared  to  be  a  severe  trial  of  faith. 

During  this  interval  the  company  had  secured  the  control 
of  a  number  of  steamers  of  1,000  to  2,000  tons  burthen,  either 
by  construction,  purchase  or  charter,  but  only  two  of  the 
whole  list  registered  upwards  of  2,000  tons.  These  were  the 
Golden  Age  and  the  Golden  Gate.  The  former  was  built  for 
George  Law,  but  purchased  by  the  Mail  Company  while  she 
was  voyaging  round  to  secure  a  buyer  in  a  foreign  port. 

There  were  two  problems  involved  in  this  crisis.  One 
related  to  the  perpetuity  of  the  mining  industry  on  the  scale 
with  which  it  had  been  operated.  A  more  difficult  problem 
was  the  fact  that  the  country  had  become  involved  in  a 
gigantic  civil  war,  the  outcome  of  which  no  living  person 
could  foretell. 

Upon  the  turn  of  these  two  events  rested  the  success  or 
failure  of  the  proposition  to  build  more  and  larger  steamers, 
involving  the  investment  of  millions  of  dollars. 


52  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

The  proposition  under  consideration  by  the  company 
was  the  construction  of  four  wooden  side-wheelers  to  be 
double  the  size  of  the  largest  two  then  in  service. 

It  is  no  wonder  that  there  was  some  hesitancy  in  deciding 
such  a  momentous  question  at  that  particular  time  and 
under  those  particular  circumstances. 

At  last  it  was  agreed  that  these  steamers  should  be  built, 
and  the  contract  for  the  same  was  let  with  instructions  to 
proceed  with  the  work  as  fast  as  possible.  As  soon  as 
finished  they  were  despatched  to  the  coast,  one  following 
the  other  at  short  intervals. 

The  first  to  be  sent  out  was  the  Constitution,  arriving 
here  October  5,  1862,  under  command  of  Captain  Eldridge. 
As  at  that  time  the  Government  was  making  a  serious  effort 
to  uphold  the  constitution,  the  name  of  the  first  of  the  new 
fleet  was  quite  appropriate.  The  Golden  City  came  out  in 
1863  under  command  of  Captain  Pearson.  The  Sacramento 
arrived  September  7,  1864,  under  command  of  Captain  Brad- 
bury, who  also  brought  out  the  Colorado  on  July  1,  1865. 
The  last  named  was  the  largest  of  the  four,  registering 
3,728  tons;  Constitution,  3,573;  Golden  City,  3,593;  Sacra- 
mento, 2,647  tons. 

These  four  steamers  were  placed  in  the  Panama  service 
as  fast  as  they  arrived  on  the  coast,  and  formed  a  new 
departure  in  its  history.  Experience  had  shown  that  such 
large  steamers  could  be  run  safely  and  profitably  in  the 
Pacific.  They  were  the  finest  steamers  afloat  anywhere  in 
the  early  sixties,  and  passengers  in  the  company's  line  on 
the  other  side  of  the  Isthmus  at  once  noticed  the  difference 
with  favorable  comments  on  the  same. 

In  1866,  the  Montana,  a  side-wheeler  of  2,670  tons,  com- 
panion of  the  Sacramento,  was  brought  out  by  Captain 
Bradbury,  in  a  trip  of  87  days  from  New  York  and  14 
days  from  Panama. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  53 

The  Arizona  and, New  York  were  of  the  same  class  of 
side-wheelers,  and  the  last  of  that  class  ordered  built  under 
3,000  tons  register.  The  former  was  2,793  tons  and  the 
latter  2,217  tons. 

At  first  both  of  these  steamers  were  in  the  service  of  the 
company  between  New  York  and  Aspinwall.  Later  they 
were  withdrawn  from  that  route  and  sent  to  San  Francisco 
via  the  Suez  Canal  and  Hongkong,  one  arriving  in  1868  and 
the  other  in  1871. 

Larger  Steamers  Ordered. 

The  next  act  in  the  shipbuilding  line  by  the  Pacific  Mail 
Company  was  an  order  for  the  construction  of  five  side- 
wheelers  of  3,800  to  4,500  tons  register.  These  were  intended 
more  especially  for  the  China  trade,  which  had  been  only 
recently  opened,  though  all  saw  some  service  in  the  Panama 
trade. 

These  new  steamers  were  named  Alaska,  4,012  tons; 
America,  4,454  tons ;  China,  3,856  tons ;  Great  Republic,  3,882 
tons,  and  Japan,  4,352  tons.  These  were  $1,250,000 
steamers,  the  most  expensive  that  had  been  built  up  to 
that  time. 

In  a  statement  of  the  company's  assets  for  1871  the 
Alaska  was  valued  at  $964,000  and  the  other  four  at 
$1,006,000  to  $1,058,000  apiece.  Outside  of  these,  the  most 
valuable  steamer  was  the  Colorado,  $750,000.  The  same 
statement  credits  the  company  with  owning  20  steamers  of 
an  aggregate  value  of  $11,843,535. 

The  China  and  Great  Republic  were  brought  out  in  1867. 
the  former  by  Captain  Bradbury  and  the  latter  by  Captain 
Doane,  76  and  78  days  from  New  York.  Captain  Bradbury 
brought  out  the  Japan  in  1868,  Captain  Doane  the  America 
in  1869,  and  Lieutenant  Maury  the  Alaska  in  1871. 

The  Alaska  came  by  way  of  Hongkong,  having  been  sent 


54  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

out  in  company  with  the  Arizona  as  extra  steamers  for  the 
tea  trade,  owing  to  the  pressure  of  freight  that  season. 

The  Alaska  arrived  here  September  1,  1871,  with  54,565 
packages  of  tea,  282  bales  of  raw  silk  and  other  freight,  the 
most  valuable  cargo  received  at  San  Francisco  up  to  that 
time.  Of  the  consignment  of  tea,  45,200  packages  were  in 
transit  for  New  York,  Boston,  Chicago  and  St.  Louis. 

Before  the  Alaska  left  Hongkong,  the  two  steamers  to 
follow  her  (China  and  Arizona,  latter  an  extra)  were 
engaged  full.  The  Arizona  arrived  here  on  her  first  trip 
October  7,  1871,  from  New  York  via  Yokohama  under  the 
command  of  Captain  Austin. 

These  were  the  last  side-wheelers  built  by  the  Pacific 
Mail  Company. 

The  Webb  line  sent  out  from  New  York  for  the  Pacific 
trade  in  1867,  the  Nevada,  under  Captain  Kelly,  78  days  from 
port,  or  56  days  19  hours  running  time ;  the  Nebraska,  Cap- 
tain Horner,  in  1868,  in  a  trip  of  79  days;  and  Dakota, 
Captain  Ingersoll,  in  a  trip  of  90  days.  These  steamers 
averaged  2,150  tons  register. 

In  1872,  Webb  sold  these  steamers  and  the  Moses  Taylor 
to  the  Pacific  Mail  Company. 

First  Iron  Steamers  in  Mail  Line. 

The  Pacific  Mail  Company  took  up  iron  shipbuilding  for 
the  first  time  in  the  early  seventies.  Not  only  was  wood 
abandoned  in  construction,  but  paddle  wheels  as  well.  Only 
iron  or  steel  propellers  have  been  built  or  purchased  by  the 
company  since  1870. 

Several  classes  of  these  steamers  have  since  been  turned 
off  the  stocks,  namely,  1,500  tons,  2,000  to  3,500  tons,  4,000 
to  5,200  tons,  and  later  still  larger  ones. 

The  first  iron  steamers  sent  out  were  for  the  Panama 
trade.    These  were  the  Acapulco,  Colima  and  Granada,  1,759 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  55 

tons,  3,836  tons  and.  2,572  tons,  respectively,  the  Colima 
arriving  here  January  6,  1874,  under  command  of  Captain 
Griffin  in  a  trip  of  90  days,  and  the  Granada,  March  8,  1874, 
under  Captain  Seabury,  78  days.  The  Acapulco  came  out 
later. 

The  next  installment  of  iron  steamers  built  for  the  Pacific 
Mail  Compan}^  were  named  after  cities,  and  intended  for 
the  Australian  and  China  trades. 

These  were  the  City  of  New  York,  City  of  Para,  City  of 
Panama,  City  of  Rio  de  Janeiro,  City  of  San  Francisco  and 
City  of  Sydney,  ranging  from  2,000  to  2,500  tons,  and  the 
City  of  Peking  and  City  of  Tokio,  each  5,080  tons.  Four  of 
these  arrived  in  1875,  two  in  1876,  and  one,  the  City  of 
Rio  de  Janeiro,  3,548  tons,  in  1881.  The  Newport  was  added 
later. 

In  1882  and  1883,  three  more  iron  steamers  were  sent 
out  for  the  Panama  trade.  These  were  the  San  Bias,  San 
Jose  and  San  Juan,  each  a  little  over  1,500  tons  register. 
These  steamers  were  -first  in  the  service  of  the  company 
between  New  York  and  Aspinwall,  as  were  also  some  of 
the  others,  which  were  subsequently  transferred  to  the 
Panama  route,  including  the  City  of  Para  and  Newport. 

The  iron  propeller  Starbuek,  1,548  tons,  was  purchased 
by  the  Pacific  Mail  Company,  and  arrived  here  from  New 
York  via  China  in  1886. 

The  City  of  Peking  and  the  City  of  Tokio  were  built  by 
the  late  John  Roach,  who  in  his  day  was  the  leading  ship- 
builder in  the  United  States.  The  history  of  his  effort  to 
introduce  iron  shipbuilding  is  one  of  the  most  interesting 
in  maritime  literature.  His  first  contract  for  an  iron  vessel 
came  from  C.  H.  Mallary  &  Co.,  and  subsequently  he  built 
several  more  for  the  same  firm,  all  for  the  Atlantic  trade. 

Within  the  next  decade,  Mr.  Roach  built  80  iron  ships, 
varying  from  1.500  to  4,500  tons,  including  23  of  6,200  tons 
for  the  foreign  trade. 


56  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  —  Past  and  Future 

The  contract  for  the  City  of  Peking  and  City  of  Tokio 
called  for  steamers  of  4,000  tons,  but  Mr.  Roach,  anticipating 
that  foreigners  would  build  larger  vessels,  laid  his  keels  for 
5,200  ton  vessels. 

These  two  steamers  were  the  largest  iron  steamers  built 
in  this  country  up  to  that  time.  They  were  immediately 
placed  in  the  China  trade. 

The  City  of  Tokio  was  wrecked  on  the  Japanese  coast 
in  1885.  The  City  of  Peking  continued  in  the  China  service 
for  many  years  and  was  considered  one  of  the  best  that 
the  company  had  in  operation.  In  her  last  years  of  service 
she  was  on  the  Panama  run.  She  was  broken  up  in  this 
harbor  in  1909. 

In  1892,  the  iron  steamer  Peru,  2,540  tons,  was  built  at 
the  Union  Iron  Works  in  this  city  for  the  Pacific  Mail  Com- 
pany, and  placed  in  the  China  trade.  Of  late  years  she  has 
been  on  the  Panama  route. 

The  steamer  China  of  the  Pacific  Mail  line,  which  com- 
pleted her  one  hundredth  trip  in  January,  1911,  is  not  the 
steamer  of  the  same  name  and  owners  that  arrived  here  in 
1867.  That  steamer  was  a  wooden  side-wheeler  which  was 
broken  up  in  1885. 

The  China,  since  in  service  in  the  tea  trade,  is  a  steel 
propeller,  and  w^as  built  in  England  in  1889.  The  wooden 
steamer  China  was  3,836  tons,  while  the  steel  steamer  China 
is  3,186  tons.  Her  twenty  or  more  years  of  service  has  been 
quite  satisfactory  to  her  owners.  She  was  first  placed  under 
the  Hawaiian  flag  and  given  American  registry  upon  the 
annexation  of  the  islands. 

Several  other  steamers  have  been  in  the  service  of  the 
Pacific  Mail  Company  either  through  ownership  or  under 
charter. 

Among  these  may  be  mentioned  the  steamers  Clyde, 
Costa  Rica,  Crescent  City,  Salvador,  South  American  and 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  57 

Winchester,  not  to  mention  some  later  ones  in  the  China 
trade,  under  charter. 

The  steamers  Algoa,  Aztec  and  Barracouta  are  owned 
by  the  Pacific  Mail  Company  by  purchase  and  belong  to 
the  Pacific  fleet. 

Losses  in  Pacific  Mail  Service. 

The  Pacific  Mail  Company  has  been  running  steamers  for 
upwards  of  sixty  years,  and  has  been  a  good  customer  of 
the  shipbuilding  industry,  having  built  or  purchased  over 
60  steamers.  These  have  been  in  service  on  all  routes  in  the 
Pacific  Ocean  and  China  Seas,  and  also  between  New  York 
and  Colon  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 

Considering  the  large  fleet  which  has  been  in  operation 
during  this  long  interval,  the  company  has  been  excep- 
tionally fortunate  in  the  loss  of  life  and  property. 

This  immunity  cannot  be  credited  entirely  to  good  luck. 
Some  of  it  at  least  has  been  due  to  good  management  and 
to  the  selection  of  capable  commanders  and  other  officers. 
In  the  early  history  of  the  organization,  the  most  capable 
men  available  were  chosen  for  the  quarter-deck,  including 
many  careful  selections  from  the  United  States  Navy. 

The  first  serious  loss  recalled  was  in  1853,  and  on  the 
Atlantic  side,  while  the  first  of  a  similar  kind  on  the  Pacific 
was  in  1862.    Eight  years  elapsed  before  there  was  another. 

The  loss  of  three  steamers  in  twenty  years,  in  view  of  the 
large  number  in  service,  is  not  a  bad  record. 

Loss  of  the  San  Francisco. 

The  first  of  the  Pacific  Mail  Company's  steamers  lost 
was  the  fourth  built.  This  was  the  San  Francisco,  built 
under  the  superintendency  of  Captain  Watkins,  who  was 
given  the  command  when  ready  for  sea. 

Three  days  prior  to  Christmas  in  1853,  she  dropped  down 


58  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

the  bay  of  New  York  for  San  Francisco  via  the  Straits  of 
Magellan  with  the  Third  Artillery,  U.  S.  A.,  on  board. 

Two  days  later,  when  in  the  Gulf  Stream,  she  encoun- 
tered a  terrific  storm,  during  which  her  machinery  was  dis- 
abled, when  the  great  hulk  became  a  plaything  in  the  arms 
of  the  sea. 

The  wreck  floated  about  for  eight  days,  when  the  passen- 
gers and  crew  were  taken  off  by  the  bark  Killey  from  West 
Indies  for  New  York,  the  British  ship  Three  Bells  from 
Liverpool  for  New  York  and  the  American  ship  Antarctic 
from  New  York  for  Liverpool.  Night  came  on  before  the 
last  were  taken  off,  and  when  the  next  morning  dawned  the 
steamer  had  sunk. 

Captain  Watkins,  part  of  the  crew  and  some  of  the 
younger  officers  subsequently  reached  New  York  via  Eng- 
land in  a  Cunard  steamer  chartered  for  the  purpose  by 
James  Buchanan,  the  American  Minister. 

Loss  of  the  Central  America. 

A  serious  loss  of  life  and  property  in  the  California  trade 
occurred  in  1857  off  the  coast  of  Florida,  in  the  sinking  of 
the  Central  America,  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant 
Herndon,  while  en  route  from  Aspinwall  to  New  York  with 
a  passenger  list  of  582  and  $1,500,000  in  treasure. 

The  steamer  sprung  a  leak  in  a  heavy  storm,  and  though 
she  did  not  sink  for  thirty-three  hours,  it  was  known  and 
realized  that  she  was  doomed  from  the  start. 

At  3  p.  m.  of  the  second  day,  a  brig  which  had  been 
through  the  same  storm,  came  near  enough  to  offer  to  take 
off  the  passengers.  With  this  relief  in  sight  and  everyone's 
life  dear  unto  himself,  the  men  said  let  the  women  and 
children  first  be  saved. 

With  such  small  boats  as  could  be  used  in  the  rough  sea, 
and  before  night  came  on,  twenty-six  women,  twenty-seven 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  59 

children  and  four  men  had  been  transferred  to  the  brig. 
The  steamer  in  the  meantime  was  steadily  sinking.  A  man 
with  a  life-preserver  insisted  that  another  man  should  take 
it  because  his  wife  was  aboard  the  brig.  Both  men  were 
saved. 

At  8  p.  m.  the  steamer  took  its  final  plunge  and  418  were 
drowned,  including  the  gallant  Herndon,  whose  young  wife 
was  waiting  his  arrival  in  New  York. 

Loss  of  the  Golden  Gate. 

The  first  loss  of  the  company  in  the  Panama  trade  was 
the  Golden  Gate.  This  steamer  left  San  Francisco  for 
Panama  on  February  21,  1862,  with  242  passengers  and  a 
crew  of  96,  or  a  total  of  338,  including  311  adults  and  27 
children,  a  valuable  cargo  of  merchandise  and  $1,400,700  in 
treasure.    She  was  under  Captain  Hudson. 

On  the  seventh  day  out,  which  was  Sunday,  the  usual 
services  of  the  Episcopal  Church  were  held  in  the  morning, 
and  at  4 :45  p.  m.,  while  the  cabin  passengers  were  at  dinner, 
a  messenger  suddenly  approached  Captain  Hudson  with  the 
announcement  that  the  ship  was  on  fire. 

Captain  Pearson  was  returning  to  New  York  as  a  passen- 
ger, and  when  informed  of  the  trouble  tendered  his  assist- 
ance. Hudson  immediately  took  command  of  the  deck  and 
Pearson  sought  out  the  fire  and  took  charge  of  the  hose. 

As  soon  as  the  condition  was  grasped,  Hudson  ordered 
everybody  forward,  and  headed  for  the  shore  three  or  four 
miles  away,  instructing  the  engineer  to  keep  up  the  revolu- 
tion of  the  wheels  as  long  as  possible. 

Before  one-half  of  the  passengers  could  get  forward, 
the  fire  broke  out  amidships,  thus  cutting  off  all  communi- 
cation between  the  fore  and  aft  of  the  vessel. 

The  sea  was  calm,  but  the  light  breeze  off  shore  fanned 
the  flames  and  left  the  passengers  aft  only  one  alternative, 
which  many  of  them  took  to  their  destruction. 


60  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  —  Past  and  Future 

The  Golden  Gate  had  ten  boats,  but  only  five  could  be 
reached,  and  most  of  the  life  preservers  were  out  of  reach. 
After  being  nearly  roasted,  the  engineers  managed  to  cut 
their  way  out.  The  vessel  was  run  on  the  beach  three  hun- 
dred yards  from  shore. 

Captain  Hudson  and  Captain  Pearson  were  the  last  to 
leave  the  ship,  and  then  not  until  they  were  driven  to  the 
bowsprit  and  the  ropes  to  which  they  were  clinging  burned 
and  they  fell  into  the  surf. 

It  was  ascertained  that  only  eighty  reached  the  shore. 
Sixteen  bodies  came  in  the  next  morning  and  were  buried 
in  the  sand. 

In  less  than  three  hours,  over  250  had  met  death  and 
nearly  $2,000,000  in  property  had  been  destroyed. 

The  disaster  brought  out  many  heroic  acts  on  the  part 
of  both  passengers  and  crew. 

Charles  C.  Sullivan,  one  of  the  earliest  to  reach  the  shore, 
saved  many  lives  by  returning  frequently  into  the  surf  and 
dragging  helpless  ones  ashore.  He  had  the  credit  of  pulling 
out  the  last  man  seen  in  the  foaming  waters. 

There  were  four  men  at  the  wheel  when  the  steamer  was 
headed  for  the  shore.  One  after  another  left  as  the  flames 
approached.  At  last  only  William  Howd  remained.  He  was 
seen  to  leave  when  the  fire  had  reached  him,  but  it  was  only 
for  a  moment.  He  then  returned  and  made  fast  the  wheel 
so  as  to  keep  the  steamer  on  its  course,  and  then  plunged 
overboard  and  was  saved. 

A  mother  appealed  to  Mr.  Murphy  to  save  her  two-year- 
old  boy.  Eev.  C.  Keith,  an  Episcopal  minister  to  China, 
united  his  handkerchief  with  another  and  strapped  the  boy 
to  Mr.  Murphy  with  the  remark,  "The  Lord  save  you  and 
the  child. "  Both  were  saved.  Keith  had  just  returned  from 
China  with  a  sick  wife,  who  died  in  San  Francisco  ten  days 
before  the  steamer  left.    He  had  preached  in  the  cabin  that 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  61 

morning,  and  was  one  of  the  last  to  leave  the  ship.  Though 
a  good  swimmer,  he  suddenly  disappeared  upon  reaching 
the  surf. 

Ben  Holladay,  a  well-known  character  in  those  days  and 
for  many  years  afterwards,  strapped  himself  to  a  ladder 
before  sinking,  and  was  picked  up  afloat. 

There  were  many  other  equally  noteworthy  escapes, 
fully  as   remarkable   as  those   mentioned. 

It  was  fortunate  that  the  fire  was  discovered  in  the  after- 
noon. In  less  than  three  hours  afterwards  all  the  wood- 
work of  the  vessel  above  the  water  line  had  been  destroyed, 
leaving  nothing  but  the  massive  machinery  in  sight. 

During  that  brief  interval  a  steamer  worth  $250,000,  a 
cargo  worth  $100,000  and  specie  valued  at  $1,400,000  passed 
beyond  the  reach  of  those  who  had  owned  or  controlled 
the  same. 

But  of  far  more  consequence  than  even  such  loss,  was 
that  of  human  life,  over  two  hundred  persons  being  lost 
or  missing  when  all  the  known  survivors  had  reached  Man- 
zanillo,  the  nearest  town  to  the  scene  of  the  wreck. 

The  disasters  to  the  Central  America  and  the  Golden 
Gate,  though  arising  from  dissimilar  causes,  were  the  most 
serious  recorded  in  the  service  between  New  York  and  San 
Francisco  via  the  Isthmus,  and  robbed  many  households  of 
lives  that  were  dear  to  the  survivors. 

Other  Disasters  in  the  Line. 

The  other  most  notable  disasters  in  the  Pacific  Mail 
Company's  service,  not  previously  mentioned,  were  the 
Golden  City  in  1870,  the  Sacramento  in  1872,  the  City  of 
San  Francisco  in  1877,  the  Georgia  in  1878,  the  Japan  in 
1874,  the  New  York  in  1875,  the  Great  Republic  in  1879, 
the  Salvador  in  1882,  the  Winchester  in  1884,  the  City  of 
Tokio  in  1885,  the  Colima,   City  of  New  York,  Honduras 


62  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

and  San  Bias  later  on,  the  City  of  Rio  in  1901,  and  the 
Asia  in  1911.  Last  named  belonged  to  Asia  Steamship 
Company. 

The  Golden  City  was  wrecked  off  the  coast  of  Lower 
California  in  a  dense  fog  on  February  22,  1870,  while  in 
command  of  Captain  Comstock.  She  had  334  passengers, 
all  of  whom  were  saved,  as  was  the  $791,200  in  specie. 
Vessel  and  cargo  a  total  loss.  The  captain  was  at  his  post 
two  and  a  half  hours  before  the  accident  and  for  twelve 
hours  afterward.     The  steamer  was  on  her  way  to  Panama. 

The  Sacramento  went  on  a  reef  off  Point  San  Antonio, 
Lower  California,  on  her  way  up  from  Panama  with  100 
passengers,  near  midnight  on  December  5,  1872.  There  was 
no  loss  of  life,  but  there  was  a  total  loss  of  vessel  and  cargo. 
Captain  Farnsworth  was  in  command,  and  took  the  disaster 
greatly  to  heart.  It  was  his  first  and  last  serious  accident 
in  command  of  a  vessel. 

The  new  iron  steamer  City  of  San  Francisco  was  sunk 
near  Acapulco  after  running  on  a  rock,  May  2,  1877,  while 
in  charge  of  Captain  Waddell,  of  rebel  army  fame.  This 
was  the  second  steamer  bearing  the  name  of  the  city,  in  the 
service  of  the  company,  to  go  down. 

The  Georgia,  Salvador  and  Winchester  were  wrecked 
off  the  Central  American  coast,  while  engaged  in  the  coffee 
trade. 

The  steamer  Japan  and  New  York  came  to  their  end 
through  flames. 

The  Great  Republic  was  wrecked  while  temporarily  em- 
ployed in  the  coast  service. 

The  loss  of  the  City  of  Tokio  on  the  Japanese  coast  was 
a  serious  blow  to  the  company. 

The  Golden  Age  was  burned  on  the  Japanese  coast  while 
in  service  between  Yokohama  and  Shanghai,  having  been 
sent  to  China  for  that  purpose  in  1869. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  —  Past  and  Future  63 

The  City  of  Rio  went  down  in  a  dense  fog  while  entering 
the  port  of  San  Francisco  on  a  return  trip  from  China,  on 
February  22,  1901.  She  disappeared  in  deep  water  with  a 
large  loss  of  life,  including  the  captain,  who  went  down 
with  his  vessel  while  sounding  the  alarm.  The  exact  loca- 
tion of  the  vessel  has  never  been  ascertained. 

The  mystery  attending  the  loss  of  the  City  of  Rio  is  one 
of  the  most  remarkable  in  marine  history. 

Many  vessels  have  left  port  for  some  destination,  more 
or  less  distant,  and  have  never  been  seen  or  heard  from 
after  once  passing  outside  of  land.  No  one  has  ever  been 
able  to  tell  when  or  where  or  how  they  disappeared 
from  view.  Such  disasters  have  ever  been  held  as  secrets 
of  the  mighty  deep.  Relatives  of  those  known  to  have 
been  on  board  when  such  vessels  have  left  port  have  watched 
and  waited  in  vain  for  the  return  of  the  loved  ones,  but  have 
never  had  their  hopes  realized  and  never  will.  Bereave- 
ments of  that  character  are  among  the  very  hardest  burdens 
to  bear. 

But  when  a  steamer  returns  to  port  from  a  round  trip 
of  thousands  of  miles  and  actually  crosses  the  bar  inward 
bound,  and  then  goes  down  almost  in  sight  of  the  wharf 
where  all  expected  to  be  safely  landed  within  an  hour  or 
two,  the  event  is  peculiarly  sad.  The  captain's  watch  was 
recovered  about  a  month  after  the  disaster,  and  a  little  later 
his  body,  with  a  few  others.  Nearly  all  that  went  down 
with  the  vessel  have  never  come  to  the  surface  so  far  as 
known. 

The  steamer  Asia,  ex-Doric,  was  wrecked  off  the  Chinese 
coast  while  returning  to  San  Francisco  from  Hongkong. 
Passengers  and  crew  were  saved,  but  the  steamer  was  a 
total  loss,  and  also  the  cargo. 

The  Colima  was  wrecked  off  Manzanillo  on  the  up  trip 
from  Panama. 


64  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

How  Vessels  End  Existence. 

Every  vessel  sent  into  the  water  from  every  shipyard  in 
every  part  of  the  world  is  bound  to  reach  the  end  of  its 
usefulness  and  also  its  existence  in  one  of  three  ways. 

The  vessel  is  either  bound  to  be  engulfed  by  the  water 
over  which  she  has  passed  so  frequently  and  gaily  on  her 
mission  of  pleasure  or  profit,  or  be  wrapped  in  flames  and  so 
pass  into  the  air  in  smoke,  or  to  be  broken  up  while  quietly 
resting  in  the  still  water  of  a  bay  or  inlet. 

Statistics  are  not  at  hand  showing  the  average  life  of 
either  sailing  vessels  or  steamers,  or  the  particular  form  of 
their  disappearance.  Of  the  vessels  that  have  passed  out 
of  existence,  it  would  be  interesting  to  know  which  route 
of  getting  out  of  the  way  the  majority  of  them  took. 

Many  years  ago  the  writer  undertook  an  investigation 
of  these  matters  in  a  limited  way.  The  port  selected  was 
San  Francisco.  The  class  of  vessels  chosen  was  the  ocean 
steamers  engaged  in  the  trade  of  that  port,  and  the  period 
covered  was  1849  to  1886,  both  years  inclusive. 

There  was  still  another  limitation.  Only  such  steamers 
were  taken  into  the  account  as  had  come  into  the  port  with 
the  view  of  engaging  more  or  less  permanently  in  its  trade. 
Under  this  rule,  all  tramp  steamers  were  excluded,  as  most 
of  these  were  under  foreign  flags. 

The  known  list  to  which  the  investigation  was  confined 
was  in  this  way  reduced  to  162  steamers  in  the  ocean  carry- 
ing trade,  the  majority  of  which  were  under  the  American 
flag. 

The  disposition  of  these  162  steamers  was  as  follows: 
Wrecked,  46;  burned,  15;  broken  up  in  San  Francisco,  20; 
converted  into  sail  vessels  or  hulks,  12;  went  elsewhere  for 
business,  17;  end  unknown,  4;  total  out  of  existence  of 
steamers  hailing  from  San  Francisco,  114;  in  service  at  the 
close  of  1886.  48. 


i         San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  65 

Of  the  20  vessels  broken  up  in  this  port  in  that  interval, 
14  met  that  end  between  1880  and  1886,  both  years  inclusive. 
Three  of  these  disappeared  in  that  way  in  1880,  four  in 
1884,  four  in  1885,  two  in  1886,  and  one  in  1887. 

These  facts  were  ascertained  at  considerable  cost  of  time 
and  labor. 

First  Steam  Line  to  China. 

The  Pacific  Mail  Company  has  had  wide  latitude  in  the 
Pacific  Ocean.  It  has  assumed  that  it  had  the  right  to  mon- 
opolize these  waters  from  the  fact  that  its  steamers  were 
the  first  of  the  merchant  marine  to  breast  the  waves  of  this 
part  of  the  world. 

Every  route  radiating  from  San  Francisco  has  at  some 
time  or  other  been  covered  by  the  Pacific  Mail  Company's 
steamers.  No  one  has  questioned  this  right  so  far  as  the 
foreign  service  of  the  port  is  concerned. 

But  the  aggressive  spirit  of  the  company  was  not  satis- 
fied with  this  wide-spread  diversion  of  its  lines. 

In  its  reach  for  business  it  did  not  even  overlook  the 
domestic  Pacific  coast  trade,  and  at  one  time  had  steamers 
running  on  the  coast  both  north  and  south  of  San  Francisco. 

The  only  uncovered  routes  have  been  the  lines  to  Alaska 
and  the  Society  Islands. 

The  enterprise  of  the  company  in  thus  reaching  out  for 
new  fields  is  deserving  of  commendation,  whatever  may  be 
thought  of  the  policy. 

Some  years  before  the  inauguration  of  a  steamer  line 
between  San  Francisco  and  Hongkong,  the  writer  called 
attention  to  the  importance  of  an  undertaking  of  that  char- 
acter. 

These  appeals  were  backed  up  with  an  exhibit  of  the 
steady  development  of  the  trade  which  had  been  accom- 
plished under  the  exclusive  use  of  sailing  vessels. 

In  a  prepared  article  published  in  1866  it  was  shown 


66  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  —  Past  and  Future 

that  San  Francisco's  trade  with  China  and  Hongkong  had 
increased  from  a  value  of  $240,000  in  the  exports  of  mer- 
chandise and  produce,  and  $1,309,000  in  treasure,  in  1856, 
to  $1,376,000  in  the  former  and  $6,900,000  in  the  latter  in 
1865.  Most  of  this  increase  was  made  in  the  last  five  years 
of  that  decade. 

Even  at  that  early  period  the  flour  trade  with  China 
showed  much  promise,  increasing  from  4,200  barrels  in  1856 
to  51,000  barrels  in  1863.  There  were  no  such  shipments  in 
1858,  and  there  was  some  falling  off  in  1864  and  1865  from 
the  big  total  in  1863.  In  the  first  five  years  of  that  decade 
these  shipments  were  only  43,000  barrels,  while  in  the  last 
half  of  the  same  decade  they  were  150,000  barrels. 

In  addition  to  the  freight  movement  direct  from  San 
Francisco  to  China  in  those  early  years,  many  of  the  ves- 
sels sent  here  with  cargoes  went  back  with  lumber  cargoes 
from  Puget  Sound. 

The  expansion  in  San  Francisco's  import  trade  has  been 
quite  as  rapid  and  quite  as  important  as  the  growth  in  the 
export  trade.  The  value  of  these  imports  as  early  as  1865 
exceeded  $2,000,000. 

In  1862,  the  arrivals  at  San  Francisco  from  Hongkong- 
were  42,  representing  36,800  tons  of  registered  tonnage, 
while  in  1863  they  were  44,  representing  34.300  tons. 

These  were  all  sail  vessels,  and  most  of  them  ship  rigged, 
though  small  as  compared  with  those  built  in  later  years. 

For  example,  only  16  of  the  44  vessels  from  China  and 
Hongkong  in  1863  exceeded  1,000  tons  register.  With  four 
exceptions  the  tonnage  of  the  largest  16  ranged  from  1,000 
to  1,200  tons.  There  were  three  of  1,400  tons  and  one  of 
1,971  tons.     The  last  named  was  the  King  Lear. 

The  trips  of  the  44  ships  that  year  varied  from  36  to  84 
days,  these  honors  being  credited  to  the  barkentines  Po- 
desta  and  San  Francisco.  Freight  money  earned  by  these 
vessels  from  China  in  1863  was  $314,400. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  —  Past  and  Future  67 

At  least  two  incentives  led  to  the  establishment  of  steam 
communication  with  China  in  1867.  One  of  these  was  the 
anticipated  early  opening  of  the  first  continental  railway 
between  the  Atlantic  and  the  Pacific  through  the  united 
efforts  of  the  Central  Pacific  and  the  Union  Pacific,  an  event 
that  was  expected  to  have  an  important  bearing  on  the  de- 
velopment of  California. 

The  other  incentive  was  of  a  more  personal  and  limited 
character,  but  it  appealed  to  those  interested  probably  with 
greater  and  better  effect  than  the  first  and  more  general 
one.  This  was  the  granting  by  Congress  of  a  subsidy  of 
$500,000  for  a  monthly  steamer  service  between  San  Fran- 
cisco and  Hongkong,  as  compensation  for  carrying  the  mails. 

Whether  such  a  line  would  have  been  started  at  that 
time  without  the  promise  of  such  a  subsidy  is  extremely 
doubtful.  No  doubt  the  enterprise  would  have  come  in 
time,  but  not  quite  so  early. 

The  contract  for  this  monthly  service  was  awarded  to  the 
Pacific  Mail  Company,  as  was  to  be  expected,  because  it  was 
the  only  corporation  on  the  spot  and  equipped  to  handle 
the  business. 

Pioneer  Steamer  in  China  Line. 

The  steamer  Colorado,  a  sidewheeler  of  3,728  tons,  one 
of  the  largest  and  finest  of  the  Pacific  Mail  Company's  fleet 
at  that  time,  was  selected  as  the  pioneer  of  this  new  enter- 
price,  and  January  1,  1867,  was  the  day  set  for  the  begin- 
ning of  the  voyage. 

The  event  was  considered  of  such  importance  that  it  was 
celebrated  by  a  banquet,  accompanied  with  toasts  and 
speeches,  one  of  the  most  general  and  popular  ways  Ameri- 
cans seem  to  have  of  making  demonstrations  and  jollifica- 
tions. 

This  was  an  entirely  new  venture.  The  route  to  be 
taken  and  the  conditions  that  might  possibly  be  encountered 


68  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  —  Past  and  Future 

were  thoroughly  studied  and  all  plans  formed  prior  to  the 
departure.  The  command  had  been  assigned  to  Captain 
Bradbury,  a  favorite  of  the  company  and  quite  familiar 
with  the  China  service. 

The  steamer  left  on  the  day  set  with  a  fair  freight,  in- 
cluding 1,000  barrels  of  flour  and  $560,000  in  specie  for 
Hongkong,  and  $21,700  for  Japan.  That  quantity  of  flour 
looks  small  in  view  of  the  consignments  of  10,000  to  12,000 
barrels  subsequently  carried  by  steamers  in  that  trade. 

There  were  a  goodly  number  of  passengers  on  board,  in- 
cluding A.  A.  Low,  president  of  the  New  York  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  a  tea  importer  of  much  prominence  then  and  for 
many  years  afterwards.  Allan  McLane,  president  of  the 
company,  and  Commodore  Watkins,  prominent  in  the  com- 
pany's service,  were  guests  on  the  trip. 

A  detour  was  made  to  Honolulu.  This  was  probably  an 
afterthought. 

The  arrival  of  the  steamer  at  Yokohama  and  later  at 
Hongkong  met  with  hearty  welcome.  Her  European  advices 
were  12  days  later  than  those  received  by  the  English  and 
French  steamers. 

While  at  Nagasaki,  Commodore  Watkins  met  with  a  fatal 
accident  by  falling  through  an  open  hold  on  board. 

On  her  return,  she  had  more  freight  offered  than  could 
be  taken.  The  Japanese  Government  sent  an  embassy  by 
her  to  the  United  States. 

She  arrived  at  San  Francisco  on  March  20th,  having 
been  only  78  days  on  the  round  trip,  including  all  detentions. 
She  made  the  run  from  Hongkong  in  31  days,  and  from 
Yokohama  in  21  days.  This  later  time  has  since  been  low- 
ered to  10  days  10  hours,  which  record  was  established  by 
the  Siberia  in  1905. 

The  Colorado  made  two  more  round  trips  in  the  next 
five  months,  when  she  was  reinforced  by  the  Great  Republic, 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  —  Past  and  Future  69 

3,882  tons,  and  the  China,  3,836  tons,  both  wooden  side- 
wheelers,  each  of  which  made  one  round  trip  in  1867. 

These  five  round  trips  was  the  best  the  company  could 
do  in  that  first  year,  while  nine  round  trips  was  the  record 
for  the  second  year.  In  1869,  however,  the  company  got 
the  line  in  thorough  working  order,  and  there  were  twelve 
round  trips  in  that  year  and  the  year  following. 

Men  accustomed  to  the  Chinese  trade  were  chosen  to 
command  the  steamers.  Captain  Doane  was  given  the  Great 
Republic  and  Captain  Smith  the  China. 

In  1868  two  more  steamers  were  added.  These  were  the 
New  York,  2,217  tons,  and  the  Japan,  4,352  tons.  The 
former  had  been  employed  in  the  Aspinwall  trade,  and  was 
sent  direct  to  Hongkong  from  New  York,  while  the  latter 
had  been  built  expressly  for  the  Chinese  trade. 

The  steamer  America,  4,454  tons,  built  as  a  companion  to 
the  Japan,  was  added  to  the  fleet  in  1869.  These  were  the 
largest  steamers  in  the  China  tea  trade  in  1869. 

The  steamers  Japan  and  America  were  wooden  side- 
wheelers,  and  both  were  subsequently  burned  on  the  Asiatic 
coast,  the  America  on  August  1,  1872,  and  the  Japan  off 
Swatow  in  December.  1874. 

The  Great  Republic  escaped  a  similar  fate,  but  was 
wrecked  on  the  Columbia  River  in  1879,  while  engaged  in 
the  coast  trade.  The  Colorado  and  China  ended  their  days 
in  peace — or  in  pieces — both  having  been  dismantled  and 
broken  up  in  this  harbor.  The  Golden  Age,  sent  to  China  in 
1869  for  service  between  Yokohama  and  Shanghai,  was 
subsequently  burned. 

In  1871,  the  sidewheel  steamers  Alaska  and  Arizona, 
2,793  and  4,012  tons,  were  added  to  the  fleet  direct  from  New 
York. 

In  May,  1872,  a  semi-monthly  service  was  inaugurated 
by  the  Pacific  Mail  Company,  which  was  maintained  there- 
after until  the  close  of  1874. 


70  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

Owing  to  the  loss  of  the  America,  the  company,  in  1873, 
chartered  the  British  steamers  Quang  Se  and  McGregor, 
2,788  and  2,167  tons,  in  order  to  keep  up  the  semi-monthly 
service. 

Opposition  in  China  Service. 

After  seven  years  of  peaceful  occupation  of  the  China 
steam  service,  an  attempt  was  made  to  divide  the  patronage. 
The  name  of  the  new  enterprise  was  the  China  Transpacific 
Company.  The  steamers  secured  for  the  service  were  the 
Vasco  de  Gama,  Vancouver  and  Lord  of  the  Isles.  These 
steamers  made  several  trips  in  1874,  and  Maco^idray  &  Co., 
a  tea  firm  from  the  days  of  1849,  were  the  local  agents. 

The  first  tramp  steamer  came  to  hand  in  the  same  year 
from  China  and  was  loaded  back.    This  was  the  Altoona. 

There  were  30  steamer  arrivals  at  San  Francisco  from 
Hongkong  in  1874,  the  largest  number  reported  up  to  that 
time. 

In  1875  the  Pacific  Mail  Company  put  on  the  China  route 
two  large  iron  propellors,  under  the  names  of  City  of  Peking 
and  City  of  Tokio,  each  5,080  tons  register.  These  were 
decidedly  the  largest  in  that  trade  then  and  for  several 
years  afterwards.  The  City  of  Tokio  was  lost  off  Yokohama 
in  June,  1885. 

British  Line  for  the  Trade. 

A  new  line,  with  British  steamers,  went  into  operation 
in  conjunction  with  the  Pacific  Mail  Company  in  the  China 
trade  in  1875.  This  company  was  incorporated  in  this  State 
in  November,  1874,  with  a  capital  of  $10,000,000,  under  the 
name  of  the  Occidental  and  Oriental  Steamship  Company, 
with  the  following  directors:  Leland  Stanford,  Charles 
Crocker,  David  D.  Colton,  Lloyd  Tevis  and  Mark  Hopkins. 

The  line  was  known  as  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  Com- 
pany's line,  but  was  soon  in  entire  harmony  with  the  Pacific 
Mail  Company's  line.     It  owned  no  steamers,  but  chartered 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  71 

from  the  White  Star  line  on  the  Atlantic  the  steamers  Belgic, 
Gaelic  and  Oceanic,  which  were  sent  out  from  England  direct 
to  Hongkong. 

All  three  were  iron  propellors  and  speedy.  The  first  to 
arrive  at  San  Francisco  was  the  Oceanic,  on  June  29,  1875, 
in  a  trip  of  24  days  from  Hongkong,  followed  by  the  Belgic 
in  July,  and  the  Gaelic  in  September.  In  addition  the  com- 
pany subsequently  put  on  its  new  iron  propellor,  San  Pablo. 

In  1882,  the  Arabic  and  Coptic  were  substituted  for  the 
Belgic  and  Oceanic  sent  home,  and  in  1885  the  new  and 
larger  steamer  Belgic  M^as  placed  in  the  service  for  the  one 
of  the  same  name  retired. 

In  1887,  the  Pacific  Mail  Company  had  in  this  branch 
of  its  service  the  iron  propellers  City  of  Peking,  5,080  tons. 
City  of  New  York,  3,020  tons,  City  of  Rio  de  Janeiro,  3,548 
tons,  and  City  of  Sydney,  3,017  tons.  At  the  same  time  the 
Occidental  and  Oriental  Company  had  the  Belgic,  2,695 
tons,  Gaelic,  2,652  tons,  and  Oceanic,  3,707  tons — all  British 
iron  propellers — and  the  San  Pablo,  2,112  tons,  American 
iron  propeller. 

From  1867  to  1886,  both  years  inclusive,  a  period  of 
twenty  years,  there  were  477  steamer  arrivals  at  San  Fran- 
cisco from  China  and  Japan.  The  registered  tonnage  repre- 
sented in  these  arrivals  was  1,550,463  tons. 

The  largest  number  of  arrivals  in  any  one  year  in  the 
above  interval  was  46,  representing  132,000  tons.  These 
totals  included  17  tramp  steamers. 

Under  normal  conditions,  the  largest  amount  of  tonnage 
represented  in  the  arrivals  from  China  in  those  twenty  years 
was  103,000  tons  in  1875. 

Perils  in  the  Trade. 

It  is  not  always  smooth  sailing  in  this  service,  especially 
in  the  China  seas,  where  monsoons  and  typhoons  are  fre- 
quently met,  with  more  or  less  danger  to  life  and  property. 


72  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  —  Past  and  Future 

The  steamer  Golden  Age  on  her  first  and  only  trip  hence 
to  China,  when  nearing  the  Asiatic  coast  encountered  one 
of  those  typhoons,  but  outrode  the  gale,  though  she  was  only 
a  wooden  side-wheeler.  It  will  be  remembered  that  it  was 
the  same  steamer,  when  looking  for  a  purchaser  in  England, 
did  considerable  damage  to  a  wharf  in  Liverpool  under  a 
full  head  of  steam,  while  herself  escaping  serious  injury. 

On  one  of  her  homeward  trips,  the  Colorado  was  blown 
off  her  course  and  was  49  days  in  making  the  run  from  Hong- 
kong, and  was  obliged  to  go  into  Honolulu  for  coal.  Her 
long  trip  was  the  cause  of  much  anxiety. 

On  one  of  her  outward  trips,  when  2,100  miles  from 
Yokohama,  the  Great  Republic  broke  one  of  her  shafts,  but 
completed  that  voyage  with  one  shaft  and  such  sail  as  could 
be  spread.  The  detention  at  Yokohama  and  the  sending  out 
of  a  new  shaft  involved  an  expense  of  $30,000. 

The  China,  on  one  of  her  inward  trips  prior  to  1886,  met 
with  an  accident  to  machinery  about  midway  between  Yoko- 
hama and  San  Francisco.  The  break  was  a  serious  one  and 
there  was  considerable  delay  and  much  anxiety  for  her 
safety. 

The  steamer  was  hove  to  in  midocean  and  the  damage 
repaired.  The  incident  was  an  object  lesson  of  much  interest, 
a  credit  to  the  engineers  for  their  skill  and  to  the  company 
for  the  provision  it  had  made  to  meet  just  such  emergencies. 

Many  other  similar  disasters  have  since  been  met  and 
overcome  in  like  manner,  and  much  anxiety  has  been  occa- 
sioned by  delay  from  one  cause  or  another. 

The  installation  of  the  wireless  in  recent  years,  while  not 
preventing  these  minor  and  sometimes  more  serious  acci- 
dents, does  eliminate  anxiety. 

The  steamers  in  the  China  trade  of  San  Francisco  have 
been  extremely  fortunate  in  escaping  the  perils  of  the  route. 

The  Occidental  and  Oriental  Steamship  Company  main- 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  73 

tained  its  line  of  chartered  steamers  on  the  China  route  frora 
1875  to  1908,  though  not  always  with  the  same  steamers. 
When  the  charters  of  the  last  three  expired,  the  Gaelic  was 
sent  back  to  England,  and  the  Doric  and  Coptic  were  then 
chartered  by  the  Pacific  Mail  Company,  their  names  being 
changed  to  Asia  and  Persia. 

Essentially  a  California  Organization. 

Though  incorporated  in  New  York,  San  Francisco  has 
been  the  terminal  point  of  the  Pacific  Mail  Company.  For 
over  sixty  years  its  steamers  have  been  running  in  and  out 
of  this  port,  in  good  years  and  bad  years,  with  great  regu- 
larity, and  although  pressed  at  times  for  funds  to  keep  the 
American  flag  on  the  Pacific,  as  against  highly  subsidized 
foreign  competitors,  has  managed  to  find  means  to  do  so. 

It  has  renewed  and  increased  its  fleet  from  time  to  time 
as  the  traffic  increased,  and  its  trans-Pacific  steamers  to-day 
are  considered  to  be  the  finest  American  ships  afloat. 

The  company  has  always  made  it  a  point  to  make  the 
bulk  of  its  repairs  and  purchases  at  San  Francisco  as 
against  other  ports  on  its  routes,  and  this,  in  the  many  years 
of  its  existence,  has  meant  the  expenditure  of  enormous 
sums  here,  thus  helping  to  build  up  the  commercial  estab- 
lishments and  increase  the  volume  of  trade  at  this  port. 

Change  in  the  Management. 

When  C.  P.  Huntington  secured  control  of  the  Pacific 
Mail  Company  in  1893,  there  was  a  large  floating  indebted- 
ness, and  as  a  result  the  floating  equipment  of  the  organiza- 
tion was  much  deteriorated.  His  first  work  was  to  bring 
about  a  better  condition  of  affairs  in  all  directions. 

Mr.  R.  P.  Schwerin  was  elected  vice-president  and  man- 
ager, which  position  he  has  ever  since  held. 

Within  four  years  the  indebtedness  of  1893  was  liqui- 


74  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

dated  from  the  earniugs  of  the  company  and  a  sufficient 
surplus  created  to  justify  a  renewal  of  dividends,  which 
were  continued  until  1899. 

In  the  meantime  the  fleet  was  overhauled  and  various 
vessels  placed  in  the  best  condition.  The  steamers  New- 
port, San  Jose,  and  City  of  Sydney  were  practically  rebuilt. 
The  British  steamer  Canterbury  was  purchased  and  renamed 
Aztec.  The  steamers  Siberia  and  Korea  were  built  and 
equipped  at  a  cost  of  over  $4,000,000.  The  company  at 
this  date  is  free  from  debt.  Its  trans-Pacific  fleet  is  prac- 
tically new  and  in  the  best  condition,  and  the  steamers  in 
its  Panama  express  and  way  lines  are  also  in  good  condition. 

The  Big  Four  Steamers. 

In  1899,  C.  P.  Huntington,  then  president  of  the  Pacific 
Mail  Company,  gave  orders  for  the  building  of  two  steamers 
of  18,000  tons  displacement  and  21  knots  speed.  These  were 
completed  and  put  in  service  in  1902  under  the  name  of 
Korea  and  Siberia.  Each  is  572  feet  long  and  has  an  indi- 
cated horsepower  of  18,000.  Both  have  shown  a  speed  in 
excess  of  21  knots.  In  1905  the  Siberia  made  the  voyage 
from  Yokohama  to  San  Francisco  in  10  days  and  10  hours, 
a  record  which  has  stood  to  September  1st. 

The  success  of  these  steamers  in  attracting  travel  led  to 
the  construction  of  two  other  steamers  of  still  larger  size, 
which  were  completed  in  1904,  and  are  known  as  the  Mon- 
golia and  Manchuria,  their  length  being  nearly  618  feet, 
with  a  tonnage  displacement  of  27,000  tons. 

All  these  four  steamers  are  fitted  up  with  the  latest  de- 
vices for  the  comfort  and  safety  of  passengers,  making  them 
equal  to  the  best  equipped  liners  in  the  trans-Atlantic  ser- 
vice. 

It  is  understood  that  the  company  is  planning  for  the 
construction  of  additional  steamers  for  the  trans-Pacific 
trade  of  still  larger  tonnage  than  the  last  named  two. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  75 

Local  Agents  Pacific  Mail. 

Alfred  Eobinson  was  the  first  agent  in  San  Francisco  of 
the  Pacific  Mail  Company,  acting  alone  in  1849  and  part  of 

1850,  when  G.  W.  P.  Bissell  became  associated  with  him.    In 

1851,  Gilmor    and    Meredith    took    charge,    Captain    Eben 
Knight  in  1852  and  Edward  Flint  in  1853. 

In  1854,  A.  B.  Forbes,  who  had  been  in  the  company's 
service  in  Panama,  was  given  the  position,  and  remained  in 
charge  until  1864,  W.  F.  Babcock  being  associated  with  him 
in  the  last  few  years  of  that  term. 

Oliver  Eldridge  took  charge  in  1865,  and  held  the  posi- 
tion until  1873,  being  associated  with  R.  B.  Irwin  in  the 
latter  part  of  that  term. 

For  the  next  three  years  the  position  was  held  by  Captain 
Baby,  S.  K.  Holman,  Edward  Higgins  and  M.  B.  Cox. 

In  1876,  the  steamer  South  Carolina  was  sent  to  this  port 
to  run  as  an  independent  in  the  Panama  trade.  She  was  con- 
signed to  Williams,  Blanchard  &  Co.  The  Pacific  Mail  Com- 
pany gave  the  position  to  Williams,  Blanchard  &  Co.,  and 
the  South  Carolina  went  to  the  Pacific  Mail.  This  firm,  with 
Mr.  Dimond  in  place  of  Mr.  Blanchard,  held  the  agency  for 
many  years. 

Alexander  Center  was  general  agent  of  the  company  for 
several  years,  and  was  previously  in  its  employ  in  the  Orient. 
His  entire  connection  with  the  company  was  for  a  longer 
period  than  any  other  official. 

Japanese  Steam  Line. 

The  Toyo  Kisen  Kaisha,  a  Japanese  steamship  company 
of  large  capital  and  a  good  sized  fleet,  inaugurated  a  monthly 
line  between  Hongkong  and  San  Francisco  via  the  usual 
Asiatic  ports  in  1899.  The  first  three  steel  propellers  for 
this  service  were  built  in  England,  and  bore  the  names  of 
America-Maru,  Hongkong-Maru  and  Nippon-Maru,  and  regis- 


76  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

tered  a  little  less  than  3,500  tons.  The  last  named  was  the 
first  despatched,  reaching  San  Francisco  in  January,  1899. 
The  service  was  interrupted  during  the  war  between  Japan 
and  Russia,  but  was  renewed  upon  the  settlement  of  that 
trouble. 

In  1910,  the  company  completed  at  the  shipyard  in  Naga- 
saki two  steel  propellers  of  7,260  tons  each,  and  placed  them 
on  the  same  route  under  the  names  of  Chiyo-Maru  and 
Tenyo-Maru.  The  America-Maru  was  sold  in  1911  to  a  rival 
company  in  Japan  to  go  into  the  coast  trade. 

The  same  company  in  1911  completed  at  the  same  yard  a 
still  larger  steam  propeller  for  the  same  trade  under  the 
name  of  Shinyo-Maru,  which  sailed  on  her  maiden  voyage 
to  San  Francisco  on  August  26th.  It  is  claimed  for  this 
steamer  that  she  combines  in  her  construction  all  the  latest 
improvements,  and  that  her  giant  turbine  engines  will  give 
her  a  speed  of  21  knots. 

Steam  Service  with  British  Columbia. 

While  there  was  an  occasional  steamer  between  British 
Columbia  and  San  Francisco  in  the  early  fifties,  it  was  not 
until  1858  that  the  service  assumed  anj^  prominence.  One 
of  those  earlier  steamers  in  the  trade  was  the  British  steamer 
Otter,  which  made  one  or  more  trips  in  1854. 

Gold  discoveries  had  been  reported  in  the  Fraser  River 
region  in  British  Columbia  early  in  1858.  Many  who  had 
been  disappointed  in  mining  operations  in  California  were 
naturally  attracted  by  these  reports  of  rich  discoveries  else- 
where. 

These  hunters  for  the  yellow  metal  were  an  impatient 
crowd.  They  would  not  have  come  to  California  if  they  had 
not  been.  Once  here  and  not  finding  just  what  they  wanted, 
they  were  willing  at  a  moment's  notice  to  pack  up  and  go 
elsewhere. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  77 

Evidence  of  this  was  shown  in  the  rush  for  gold  in  the 
black  sands  on  the  beach  in  Humboldt  county,  known  as  the 
Gold  Bluff  mining  excitement  of  1851.  This  was  too  near 
San  Francisco  to  last  long,  and  the  movement  was  checked 
before  it  had  fairly  begun  by  the  return  of  those  first  on 
the  field. 

In  1854,  there  were  reports  of  gold  deposits  at  the  head- 
water of  the  Amazon  in  Eastern  Peru,  and  a  considerable 
number  left  San  Francisco  for  Callao,  only  to  learn  upon 
arrival  at  that  port  that  there  was  nothing  in  the  stories. 

In  1855,  the  Kern  river  excitement  in  the  southern  part 
of  California  had  the  same  effect  on  the  floaters  about  San 
Francisco,  who  rushed  off  in  that  direction  only  to  be  dis- 
appointed. 

Despite  these  three  false  alarms  in  seven  years,  the  news 
of  the  rich  diggings  in  the  Eraser  river  region  stirred  the 
community  anew  and  very  thoroughly.  Some  falling  off 
in  the  gold  yield  in.  California  and  dull  business  conditions 
accentuated  the  restlessness  of  the  people  and  prepared  them 
to  seize  any  excuse  for  a  change. 

The  rush  to  Eraser  river  began  in  April,  1858,  and  con- 
tinued with  more  or  less  vigor  until  the  following  September. 
During  this  interval,  one  authority  says,  15,088  people  left 
on  112  vessels  for  British  Columbia,  while  another  authority 
(Price  Current)  gave  the  number  at  23,428.  This  total  was 
generally  accepted  as  the  one  nearest  to  the  exact  number 
that  took  their  departure  during  those  few  months. 

Some  idea  of  the  magnitude  of  this  movement  may  be 
obtained  by  the  statement  that  it  was  equal  to  one-sixth 
of  the  reported  population  of  the  State  at  the  time  and 
fifteen  times  as  many  as  were  attracted  to  California  from 
all  the  Atlantic  States  in  1849. 

The  effect  on  property  values  in  San  Francisco  was  quite 
disastrous.  Every  person  who  sold  out  for  Eraser  river  made 
it  more  difficult  for  the  next  man  to  sell  his  property. 


78  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

Those  who  remained,  however,  and  who  did  not  lose  their 
confidence  in  the  future  of  the  city,  and  who  had  money  to 
invest  in  the  sacrified  real  estate,  did  well. 

In  some  cases  at  least,  subsequent  large  fortunes  were 
dated  back  to  those  lucky  investments  in  San  Francisco 
realty. 

But  this  course  required  courage  of  a  high  order;  for 
after  the  State  had  been  depopulated  to  the  extent  named, 
at  least  one-third  of  the  remainder  was  getting  ready  to 
follow,  when  the  people  began  to  come  back  nearly  as  fast 
as  they  had  gone  forth,  disappointed  and  disgusted  with  their 
luck  in  the  new  El  Dorado  of  the  North. 

It  was  estimated  that  this  little  mining  adventure  cost 
those  who  participated  in  it  at  least  $9,000,000.  An  outfit 
and  freight  cost  $100,  the  fare  was  $60,  and  there  was  an 
average  of  60  days  time  lost  for  each  one  in  the  expedition. 

The^Frazer  river  mining  excitement  was  one  of  the  great- 
est fizzles  of  the  kind  on  this  coast.  Thousands  were  dis- 
appointed in  not  being  able  to  go,  but  the  thousands  who 
returned  were  the  greatest  losers. 

It  was  charged  that  steamship  owners  got  the  thing  up 
to  give  employment  to  some  idle  steamers.  One  thing  is 
certain — it  was  the  means  of  opening  steam  navigation 
between  California  and  British  Columbia,  which  has  ever 
since  been  maintained,  and  with  profit  and  convenience  to 
all  parties. 

The  steamer  Commodore,  which  arrived  at  San  Francisco 
on  May  5,  1858,  practically  inaugurated  this  new 'line.  This 
steamer  was  owned  by  J.  T.  Wright,  who  also  in  the  follow- 
ing July  put  on  the  Pacific. 

The  Pacific  Mail  Company  supplemented  that  service 
by  immediately  placing  on  the  same  route  the  steamers 
Panama,  Cortez,  Oregon  and  Columbia. 

There  were  only  two  arrivals  from  Victoria  in  May  and 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  —  Past  and  Future  79 

four  in  June.  In  July  there  were  eleven,  including  the  Santa 
Cruz,  consigned  to  Fauntleroy,  and  the  Sierra  Nevada,  con- 
signed to  C.  K.  Garrison. 

In  the  last  five  months  of  1858,  there  arrivals  averaged 
six  per  month,  including  the  steamers  Active,  Surprise  and 
Wilson  G.  Hunt.  The  Surprise  was  put  on  by  the  California 
Steam  Navigation  Company. 

There  were  49  steamer  arrivals  at  San  Francisco  from 
British  Columbia  in  1858  and  56  in  1859.  In  the  latter  year, 
the  additional  steamers  on  the  route  were  the  Brother  Jona- 
than and  Northerner  under  the  American  flag  and  the  For- 
ward and  Labouchere  under  the  British  flag. 

In  1860,  business  on  the  Victoria  route  resumed  normal 
conditions,  with  the  Pacific  and  Panama  as  leading  steamers, 
the  former  making  13  and  the  latter  8  trips,  while  12  round 
trips  were  made  by  five  other  steamers. 

In  1861,  six  steamers  were  run  off  and  on,  four  in  1862 
and  six  in  the  following  two  years.  The  Hermann  and  Tyne- 
mouth  were  the  new  steamers  temporarily  added  in  1862. 
The  British  steamer  Robert  Lowe  from  China  made  one  trip 
in  1863. 

There  were  75  arrivals  of  all  kinds  from  British  Columbia 
in  1862,  representing  60,700  tons  of  tonnage,  and  51  in  1863, 
representing  48,700  tons.  In  the  latter  year  13  of  these 
arrivals  were  under  sail. 

The  principal  steamers  employed  on  the  route  in  1863 
were  the  Brother  Jonathan,  Pacific  and  Sierra  Nevada.  The 
Oregon  and  Robert  Lowe  each  made  one  trip. 

In  1864,  the  John  L.  Stephens  was  placed  in  the  service. 
She  registered  2,000  tons  and  was  the  largest  in  the  trade 
up  to  that  time. 

J.  T.  Wright  and  the  Pacific  Mail  Company  abandoned 
the  route  in  the  early  sixties,  leaving  the  California  Steam 
Navigation  Company  in  practical  control. 


80  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

In  April,  1867,  the  California  Steam  Navigation  Com- 
pany withdrew  from  the  route  in  favor  of  the  California, 
Oregon  and  Mexican  Steamship  Company  for  a  consideration 
of  $700,000,  and  the  latter  company  substantially  controlled 
the  route  for  the  next  four  years. 

From  1865  to  1870,  the  steamers  on  the  route  were  the 
Active,  California,  Del  Norte,  Constantine,  Fideliter,  Idaho, 
Labouchere,  John  L.  Stephens,  Moses  Taylor,  Oregon,  Sierra 
Nevada,  Pacific,  Gussie  Telfair  and  Pelican. 

The  Gussie  Telfair  was  an  iron  steamer  and  arrived  here 
from  New  York  in  May,  1867,  and  the  Pelican  was  a  steel 
steamer  (first  of  the  kind  in  these  waters),  which  arrived 
here  in  October,  1868.  Both  had  been  employed  as  blockade 
runners  in  the  Civil  War. 

The  Active  was  on  the  route  from  1858  to  1870,  when  she 
was  wrecked.  Previously  to  1858,  she  was  a  Government 
survey  steamer. 

The  Pelican  and  Idaho  were  placed  on  the  route  in  1870. 

John  Rosenfeld  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  service  from 
1871  to  1874,  both  years  inclusive,  and  again  in  subsequent 
years. 

Goodall,  Nelson  &  Perkins  in  1875  took  up  the  service 
prominently  for  a  short  time. 

In  August  of  the  same  year,  the  Pacific  Mail  Company 
again  entered  the  service.  The  first  vessel  it  put  on  was  the 
chartered  steamer  Vasco  de  Gama,  which  had  been  employed 
in  the  China  trade.  It  followed  this  act  with  the  steamers 
City  of  Panama,  Salvador,  Dakota,  Constitution,  Alaska  and 
other  steamers,  and  kept  up  the  service  until  1880,  when  it 
abandoned  the  route  for  the  second  time. 

First  Steam  Collier. 

In  1880,  Goodall,  Nelson  &  Perkins  resumed  service  on 
the  Victoria  route  and  maintained  it  for  many  years. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  81 

The  first  steam  collier  on  the  Pacific  Coast  was  intro- 
duced by  John  Rosenfeld,  a  prominent  operator  in  coal,  in 
1871.  Up  to  that  time  it  had  not  been  thought  possible  to 
employ  steamers  in  the  coal  trade. 

The  change  in  coal  carrying  on  this  coast  from  sail  to 
steam  was  brought  about  in  this  way.  The  British  steamer 
Prince  Alfred  arrived  here  from  Central  America  quite  unex- 
pectedly in  June,  1870,  the  owners  evidently  seeking  a  pur- 
chaser. Mr.  Rosenfeld  bought  her  and  spent  considerable 
money  in  repairs  and  alterations,  and  then  placed  her  in 
the  British  Columbia  trade  just  one  year  after  her  arrival. 

In  1874,  just  three  years  later,  she  was  wrecked  while 
trying  to  enter  this  port  in  a  dense  fog  with  a  cargo  of  coal. 

Mr.  Rosenfeld  had  demonstrated  the  feasibility  of  such 
service,  and  in  1873,  the  steamers  Empire  and  Eastport  were 
built  on  Puget  Sound  for  the  coast  trade,  and  were  employed 
in  that  trade  for  many  years. 

Mr.  Rosenfeld  was  not  discouraged  by  his  first  three 
years'  experience  in  freighting  coal  under  steam,  nor  by  the 
loss  of  his  steamer  while  engaged  in  that  year. 

In  February,  1877,  the  Chilean  steamer  Bolivar  came  into 
this  port  from  South  America.  The  owners  were  seeking 
outward  business  by  charter  or  a  purchaser. 

After  a  long  stay  in  port,  she  became  the  property  of 
Mr.  Rosenfeld,  who  rebuilt  her  to  a  large  extent,  and  gave 
her  the  name  of  Victoria.  She  was  put  in  the  British  Colum- 
bia coal  trade  in  March,  1879,  and  remained  in  that  trade 
until  wrecked  in  1883. 

The  next  effort  to  introduce  steam  in  the  coal  carrying 
trade  of  British  Columbia  was  made  by  R.  Dunsmuir  &  Sons 
in  1881.  This  firm  chartered  in  England  the  steamers  Barn- 
ard Castle  and  Hylton  Castle,  and  they  were  put  into  the 
service  immediately  upon  arrival. 

The  Hylton  Castle  was  sent  back  to  England  by  way  of 


82  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

Callao  in  1885,  and  the  Barnard  Castle  was  wrecked  off  Puget 
Sound  in  November,  1886. 

In  1883,  the  same  firm  brought  out  the  Wellington  from 
England,  and  she  remained  in  the  coal  trade  for  many  years. 

The  success  of  these  experiments  in  the  British  Columbia 
coal  trade  led  the  Puget  Sound  miners  to  adopt  similar  means 
in  the  transportation  of  their  product  to  San  Francisco. 

In  1881,  the  Oregon  Improvement  Company  brought  out 
from  the  Atlantic  side  the  steamers  Umatilla,  Walla  Walla 
and  Willamette,  following  these  two  years  later  by  the 
Mississippi — all  iron  propellers.  The  last  named  was  the 
smallest  of  the  four,  and  was  destroyed  by  fire  at  the  wharf 
in  Seattle  the  same  year  of  her  arrival. 

The  steamer  Umatilla  was  once  abandoned  at  the  north 
in  a  sinking  condition,  as  all  aboard  thought.  One  of  the 
mates  declined  to  leave  the  vessel,  and  he  alone  worked  it 
into  port,  only  to  sink  upon  arrival.  She  was  raised,  repaired, 
and  has  been  doing  good  service  ever  since.  An  instance  of 
that  kind  of  rescue  has  probably  had  few  duplicates  any- 
where in  the  whole  history  of  marine  affairs. 

In  1881,  the  Central  or  Southern  Pacific  Railroad  Com- 
pany ordered  the  construction  of  two  iron  propellers  at  the 
East  for  the  transportation  of  coal  from  the  Carbon  Hill 
mine  on  Puget  Sound  to  San  Francisco. 

These  were  named  Tacoma  and  San  Pedro,  the  first  arriv- 
ing here  on  December  30,  1882,  and  the  other  on  March  7, 
1883.  These  steamers  were  built  with  special  reference  to 
speed  and  carrying  capacity. 

The  Tacoma  was  lost  off  Capt  Flattery  on  her  first  trip 
down  with  a  cargo  of  coal  in  January,  1883.  On  her  way 
out,  the  Tacoma  made  the  trip  from  Hampton  Roads  to  San 
Francisco  with  a  full  cargo  of  iron  and  coal  in  47  days  and 
12  hours,  never  calling  at  a  port  on  the  way. 

A  wire  order  was  sent  to  the  builders  to  build  a  duplicate 
of  the  Tacoma  under  the  name  of  San  Pablo,  but  when  the 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  —  Past  and  Future  83 

new  vessel  was  ready  for  service  she  was  ordered  to  China 
to  engage  in  the  tea  trade  under  the  auspices  of  the  Occi- 
dental and  Oriental  Steamship  Company. 

The  use  of  steam  colliers  in  the  transportation  of  coal 
from  the  northern  mines  to  California,  inaugurated  by  John 
Rosenfeld  in  1871,  has  never  once  been  abandoned. 

On  the  contrary,  from  a  single  steamer  in  that  trade  for 
the  first  three  years,  the  number  has  been  increased  as  the 
years  have  gone  by. 

The  managers  of  the  British  Columbia  mines  have  pre- 
ferred to  charter  rather  than  to  build  steamers  for  their 
own  use. 

These  vessels  have  been  generally  engaged  under  time 
charters,  running  from  one  to  three  or  more  years.  Not 
only  has  the  number  been  increased,  but  also  the  carrying 
capacity.  In  1883,  when  the  San  Pedro  came  in  from  Puget 
Sound  with  4,000  tons  coal,  it  was  noted  that  it  was  the 
largest  cargo  of  the  kind  ever  landed  here. 

Of  late  years,  the  steamers  in  the  coal  trade  of  British 
Columbia  have  brought  down  much  larger  cargoes,  say  from 
6,000  to  8,000  tons. 

Prom  1858  to  1886,  both  years  inclusive,  there  were 
1,432  arrivals  at  San  Francisco  from  British  Columbia  of  all 
sorts  of  vessels,  representing  1,718,900  tons  of  registered 
tonnage. 

Disasters  on  British  Columbia  Route. 

There  have  been  quite  a  number  of  losses  on  the  route 
between  California  and  British  Columbia.  At  least  three  of 
these  were  attended  with  a  great  sacrifice  of  life. 

The  greatest  three  disasters  of  the  early  years  in  mind 
were  the  Northerner  in  1860,  Brother  Jonathan  in  1865  and 
Pacific  in  1875.  The  loss  of  life  was  the  greatest  on  the 
last  named. 

The  Northerner  came  here  in  1850,  and  was  at  first  in 


84  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Pa^t  and  Future 

the  Isthmus  trade.  At  the  time  of  her  mishap  she  was  in 
the  coast  trade,  and  was  wrecked  off  the  northern  coast  of 
California.  She  had  40  passengers  on  board  at  the  time, 
including  several  women. 

Chief  Officer  French  saved  every  woman  but  one,  and  lost 
his  life  on  his  way  back  to  the  steamer  for  that  unsaved  one. 
A  monument  in  Laurel  Hill  cemetery  in  San  Francisco  attests 
his  last  heroic  act. 

The  steamer  Pacific  was  lost  on  her  way  down  from  Vic- 
toria with  250  passengers  in  collision  with  the  ship  Orpheus, 
off  Cape  Flattery,  at  10  p.  m.,  November  4,  1875.  She  broke 
amidships  an  hour  later,  and  all  were  lost  except  three. 
These  were  H.  F.  Jelley,  A.  Fraser  and  Quartermaster  O. 
Hanley.  Captain  J.  D.  Howell,  in  command  at  the  time, 
was  a  brother  of  Mrs.  Jefferson  Davis. 

Loss  of  the  Brother  Jonathan. 

The  steamer  Brother  Jonathan  was  wrecked  on  July  30, 
1865,  while  en  route  from  San  Francisco  to  Portland  and 
Victoria  with  a  passenger  list  of  109  and  a  crew  of  54,  under 
command  of  Captain  DeWolf,  who  had  been  to  sea  for  fifteen 
years,  and  who  was  considered  a  safe  and  reliable  officer. 

Among  the  passengers  were  Brigadier  General  Wright 
and  wife  and  several  other  army  officers,  and  James  Nisbet, 
editor  of  the  Bulletin.  The  last  named  was  making  a  trip 
to  Victoria  for  rest  and  recreation  after  a  long  season  of 
hard  work. 

Before  getting  clear  of  the  California  coast,  the  steamer 
encountered  a  terrific  sea,  and  the  captain  ordered  her  into 
port  at  Crescent  City  for  safety.  She  had  been  turned  back 
in  compliance  with  this  order,  and  was  supposed  to  be  making 
for  Crescent  City,  but  when  ten  miles  off,  while  the  sea  was 
running  mountains  high,  to  use  a  familiar  expression,  she 
struck  a  rock  with  such  force  as  to  knock  the  passengers 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  —  Past  and  Future  85 

down  on  the  deck.  Jacob  Gates  was  in  charge  of  the  wheel 
at  the  time,  and  was  carrying  out  the  orders  of  the  captain 
when  the  collision  occurred.  It  was  realized  almost  at  once 
that  the  vessel  had  at  last  met  her  doom,  whatever  might  be 
the  fate  of  those  on  board. 

The  boats  were  launched  immediately,*  but  as  usual  most 
of  them  were  swamped,  owing  to  the  turbulent  condition  of 
the  sea.  Only  one  boat  was  successfully  cleared  away  and 
reached  the  shore  with  sixteen  persons.  Two  or  three  officers 
were  picked  up,  but  the  remainder  were  drowned. 

The  disaster  happened  at  2  p.  m.  and  in  less  than  an  hour 
it  was  all  over  with  the  ship  and  those  who  were  left  aboard 
or  struggled  in  the  water  about  the  scene.  It  was  an  awful 
experience,  and  perhaps  it  was  well  that  it  was  of  short 
duration,  dear  as  most  people  value  life. 

There  were  some  cool  men  on  that  sinking  deck,  looking 
into  the  yawning  waters,  so  soon  to  be  their  winding  sheet 
and  grave,  and  among  these  was  Mr.  Nisbet,  beside  whose 
desk  in  the  Bulletin  office  the  writer  had  been  tutored  in  some 
of  the  ways  of  daily  journalism. 

Mr.  Nisbet  was  a  fine  type  of  the  English  gentleman,  a 
little  gruff  at  times,  perhaps,  but  highly  cultured  and  with  a 
heart  as  gentle  as  a  woman's.  The  writer  considers  that  he 
was  fortunate  in  having  such  an  instructor  at  the  begin- 
ning of  his  journalistic  career. 

Immediately  following  the  collision,  Mr.  Nisbet  took  in  his 
situation  and  prepared  for  the  worst.  From  the  deck  of 
the  sinking  steamer  he  wrote  out  his  will  as  fully  and  care- 
fully as  if  he  had  been  at  home  in  peace  and  quietness.  It 
reads  as  follows : 

At  Sea  on  Board  Brother  .Jonathan, 

July  30,  1865. 

In  view  of  death,  I  hereby  appoint  my  brother,  Thomas  Nisbet, 
at  present  engaged  on  the  Pacific  Railroad,  near  Clipper  Gap,  my 
sole  executor,  with  instructions  to  wind  up  my  whole  estate,  real 


86  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

and  personal,  and  convert  the  same  into  cash  with  all  convenient 
speed,  but  so  as  not  to  sacrifice  the  same,  equally  between  himself 
and  his  sole  sister,  Margaret  Nisbet,  now  residing  in  England;  and 
under  burden  of  the  payment  of  a  legacy  of  five  thousand  dollars  in 
gold  to  Almira  Hopkins,  wife  of  Caspar  T.  Hopkins,  insurance  agent, 
San  Francisco,  Cal.  And  I  desire  that  my  brother,  said  Thomas 
Nisbet,  shall  not  be  asked  to  give  security  for  his  intromission  with 
my  estate. 

JAMES  NISBET. 

The  above  was  written  with  pencil  on  note  paper,  filling 
the  first  and  part  of  another  page.  Though  soaked,  there  was 
no  word  or  punctuation  mark  obliterated.  It  was  recovered 
with  his  body. 

Mr.  Nisbet  had  for  some  time  been  an  inmate  of  Mr. 
Hopkins'  family,  though  not  in  any  way  related  to  any  mem- 
ber. He  was  very  fond  of  children,  and  they  delighted  to 
call  him  grandpa.  He  did  not  forget  this  family  in  the  one 
supreme  hour  of  his  life.  After  completing  the  directions 
about  the  disposition  of  his  effects,  he  wrote  the  following  to 
Mrs.  Hopkins : 

My  Dear,  Dear  Ma:  A  thousand  affectionate  adieus.  You  spoke 
of  my  sailing  on  Friday — hangman's  day — and  the  unlucky  Jona- 
than. Well,  here  I  am,  with  death  before.  My  love  to  you  all — to 
Caspar,  to  Dita,  to  Belle,  Mellie  and  little  Myra — kiss  her  for  me. 
Never  forget 

GRANDPA. 

The  steamer  Brother  Jonathan  had  been  on  the  coast  for 
thirteen  years,  having  been  brought  out  from  the  East  in 
1852  by  C.  K.  Garrison  to  run  on  the  San  Juan  route  to  San 
Francisco  in  connection  with  the  Cortez  and  S.  S.  Lewis. 
The  line  under  Mr.  Garrison  was  the  most  formidable  that 
the  Pacific  Mail  ever  encountered  in  the  Isthmus  trade. 

At  the  time  of  the  fatal  disaster,  the  Brother  Jonathan 
was  the  property  of  the  California  Steam  Navigation 
Company. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  87 

Loss  of  the  Valencia. 

The  steamer  Valencia  was  brought  out  here  from  the 
East  to  go  into  the  Pacific  Coast  trade.  She  readily  found 
employment  on  the  northern  coast,  and  made  many  trips 
between  San  Francisco  and  Puget  Sound  ports,  calling  at 
"Victoria.  She  was  also  in  the  Alaska  trade  off  and  on  during 
the  busy  part  of  the  year. 

The  Valencia  was  wrecked  on  one  of  her  trips  to  the  north 
from  San  Francisco  in  1906.  It  is  known  that  she  sailed  from 
this  port  on  January  20th  of  that  year  for  Victoria  via 
Seattle.  It  was  on  that  or  some  later  trip  in  the  same  year, 
of  which  the  writer  has  no  record,  that  she  encountered  a 
terrific  storm  just  before  entering  the  Sound. 

It  was  evident  from  the  start  that  the  struggle  would 
only  end  in  the  destruction  of  the  steamer  and  perhaps  the 
loss  of  all  on  board,  of  which  there  were  a  large  number, 
in  addition  to  the  crew.  This  impression  spread  and  deep- 
ened with  every  passing  moment.  The  serious  condition 
suddenly  developed  several  heroes  and  heroines.  One  of  the 
latter  was  Miss  Van  Wyck.  Though  as  thoroughly  helpless 
as  all  the  others,  she  did  what  she  could  to  bring  calm  and 
comfort  to  the  distressed  by  her  sweet  singing  of  "Nearer, 
My  God,  to  Thee,  Nearer  to  Thee,"  and  amid  the  strains  of 
song  went  down  with  the  others  to  her  death  in  the  mighty 
deep. 

Direct  Steam  Line  to  Mexico. 

California  had  steamer  service  with  Mexico  as  eajiy  as 
1849  through  the  operation  of  the  Panama  steamers  that 
called  at  one  or  more  ports  in  Mexico  both  in  going  and 
coming. 

Outside  of  such  service,  there  were  occasional  steamers 
from  Mexico  in  the  early  fifties.  The  little  steamers  Santa 
Cruz  and  Surprise  were  on  the  route  in  1859  and  1860. 

The  first  regular  independent  line  was  not  started  until 


S8  San   Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  —  Past  and  Future 

May  1,  1861,  when  Holladay  &  Flint  sent  down  the  Panama 
in  charge  of  Captain  R.  H.  Horner. 

The  Republic  was  sent  down  soon  afterwards  under  com- 
mand of  Captain  John  Bermingham,  to  run  on  the  Mexican 
coast.  That  part  of  the  service  was  not  a  success,  and  was 
soon  abandoned. 

Both  Holladay  and  Flint  were  on  the  Golden  Gate  when 
she  was  wrecked  in  1862.  The  latter  lost  his  life  in  that 
disaster.  Holladay  strapped  himself  to  a  ladder  in  the  water 
and  was  rescued.  That  was  Ben  Holladay,  who  died  in  Port- 
land in  1887. 

Jesse  Holladay,  a  brother  of  Ben,  associated  himself  with 
Mr.  Brenham  and  took  up  the  enterprise,  and  the  line  there- 
after was  known  as  the  California,  Oregon  and  Mexican 
Steamship  Company. 

The  Panama  was  continued  in  the  service  under  the  new 
organization  in  1862  and  1863.  The  Oregon  was  then  put  on 
the  route,  followed  in  1864  by  the  John  L.  Stephens,  with 
the  Oregon  and  Sierra  Nevada  as  relief  boats. 

In  April,  1866,  the  propeller  Continental  came  out  from 
New  York  with  the  Mercer  Colony  of  women  for  Washington 
Territory.  When  chartered  for  this  trip,  the  Continental  was 
expected  to  carry  600  women,  but  brought  out  only  100. 

Upon  the  completion  of  this  service  she  was  placed  on  the 
Mexican  route  as  a  regular  trader  for  passengers  and  freight 
by  the  same  company,  and  eontimied  in  that  trade  until 
1870,  when  she  went  into  the  northern  coast  trade  and  was 
wrecked  off  Eel  river  in  December,  1877,  after  an  almost 
uninterrupted  service  on  this  coast  for  eleven  years,  during 
which  she  earned  much  money. 

The  propeller  Montana  took  her  place  on  the  Mexican 
route,  and  remained  in  the  service  until  she  was  burned  at 
one  of  the  Mexican  ports  in  December,  1876. 

The  Colorado  Steam  Navigation  Company  introduced  an 
opposition  line  on  the  Mexican  route  in  1871  by  placing  the 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  89 

steamer  Newbern  in  that  trade.  The  Newbern  was  previously 
in  the  service  of  the  quartermaster's  department  of  the  Gov- 
ernment, and  made  her  first  trip  under  the  new  owner  in 
June,  1871. 

The  California,  Oregon  and  Mexican  Steamship  Company 
retired  its  service  on  the  Mexican  route  in  1872. 

In  September,  1872,  the  Pacific  Mail  Company  purchased 
all  of  the  Holladay  steamers  running  on  the  Southern  Cali- 
fornia coast  and  Mexico.  The  list  included  the  California, 
Orizaba,  Pacific,  Senator  and  Montana,  and  the  consideration 
for  the  property  and  good  will  was  $500,000. 

The  Pacific  Mail  Company  covered  the  route  between 
California  and  Mexico  for  about  one  year  with  its  pioneer 
steamer  California. 

The  Colorado  River  Navigation  Company  then  took  addi- 
tional interest  in  the  Mexican  trade  until  1877,  when  it  sold 
out  to  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad  Company. 

The  Newbern  was  continued  in  the  trade  from  April, 
1877,  under  the  auspices  of  the  California  and  Mexican 
Steamship  Company,  of  which  John  Bermingham  was  the 
representative. 

In  February,  1882,  the  steamer  Mexico  was  launched  at 
the  yard  of  Dickey  Brothers  in  this  city  for  account  of  the 
California  and  Mexican  Steamship  Company,  under  the  per- 
sonal supervision  of  Mr.  Bermingham. 

Up  to  that  time  this  was  the  largest  steamer  built  on  this 
coast,  being  280  feet  long  on  the  water  line,  36  feet  beam, 
about  21  feet  depth  of  hold,  and  about  2,000  tons  register. 
She  cost  $250,000. 

She  left  on  her  first  trip  to  Mexico  under  command  of 
Captain  Huntington  on  March  8,  1882,  and  was  continued 
in  that  trade  for  some  time,  or  until  after  the  Newbern  was 
rebuilt  and  restored  to  the  service.  Later  the  Mexico  was 
put  on  the  Victoria  route  under  charter  to  the  North  Pacific 
Coast  Steamship  Company. 


90  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  —  Past  and  Future 

Other  steamers  have  made  occasional  trips  between 
Mexico  and  California  in  the  last  quarter  of  a  century. 

Of  late  years  the  little  steamer  Curacao  has  covered  the 
route  quite  regularly  and  quite  satisfactorily. 

From  1859  to  1886,  both  years  inclusive,  there  were  294 
direct  arrivals  of  sail  and  steam  vessels  at  San  Francisco  from 
Mexican  ports.  Most  of  these  were  small  carriers,  and  nearly 
all  the  sail  vessels  were  in  ballast.  These  arrivals  show  an 
aggregate  of  312,600  tons  of  registered  tonnage. 

Before  the  completion  of  the  Southern  Pacific  railroad, 
considerable  treasure  was  sent  from  Mexico  by  the  water 
route  to  San  Francisco.  Of  late  years  that  trade  has  not 
been  so  large,  and  most  of  it  has  been  transferred  to  the 
railroad. 

The  Mexican  trade  has  always  been  very  one-sided. 
While  good  cargoes  have  been  sent  down,  the  vessels  have 
come  back  light,  or  with  little  freight. 

The  disasters  in  the  direct  trade  on  the  route  have  been 
few,  and  the  losses  small. 

For  many  years  there  was  a  large  specie  trade  between 
Mexico  and  the  Orient,  and  prior  to  the  completion  of  the 
Southern  Pacific  railroad  through  Arizona  all  this  specie 
came  by  the  water  route  to  San  Francisco  and  was  reshipped 
here  to  the  Orient.  This  trade  was  of  considerable  impor- 
tance to  the  steamers,  and  the  local  transactions  in  Mexican 
dollars  was  a  source  of  some  income  to  the  brokers. 

In  those  years  and  for  a  long  time  afterwards  China  was 
a  good  customer  for  Mexican  dollars.  In  1878,  the  United 
States  undertook  to  wrest  some  of  this  trade  from  Mexico 
by  coining  a  trade  dollar  of  420  grains,  900  fine.  This  dollar 
contained  a  little  more  silver  than  the  Mexican  dollar,  and 
was  in  every  way  its  superior,  particularly  in  finish  and 
in  uniformity  of  weight.  It  is  probable  that  the  American 
trade  dollar  would  have  won  out  with  the  Chinese  in  time, 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  91 

difficult  as  was  that  task,  if  the  attempt  had  not  been  made 
to  introduce  them  into  domestic  circulation,  for  which  they 
were  never  intended  and  for  which  the  owners  had  no  legal 
right.  As  soon  as  this  infraction  of  law  came  to  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  American  mint  authorities  the  coinage  of  such 
dollars  was  suspended  and  the  $35,000,000  emitted  were 
recalled  from  China  and  other  sources. 

Steam  Line  to  Hawaiian  Islands. 

When  Captain  Cook  discovered  the  Sandwich  Islands  in 
1778,  the  native  population  was  about  200,000,  and  the  trade 
of  that  number  of  people  was  worthy  of  consideration.  In 
1910,  the  native  population  was  31,000,  while  the  total  popu- 
lation of  the  islands  was  192,000,  mostly  made  up  of  other 
nationalities  than  Hawaiians. 

Trading  under  sail  with  the  Pacific  Coast  by  the  people 
of  the  Sandwich  Islands  was  in  progress  in  the  early  part  of 
the  eighteenth  century,  and  the  first  arrivals  of  gold  seekers 
at  San  Francisco  in  1849  obtained  some  of  their  food  sup- 
plies from  that  section. 

As  early  as  1854,  an  attempt  was  made  to  establish  a 
steam  line  between  Honolulu  and  San  Francisco.  So  far 
as  can  be  learned,  that  effort  came  about  in  this  way.  The 
British  steamer  Polynesian  had  recently  arrived  at  Hono- 
lulu from  South  America  seeking  business.  The  only  thing 
that  offered  was  service  between  Honolulu  and  San  Fran- 
cisco, and  this  was  accepted  by  the  owners.  Some  freight 
was  secured  and  the  steamer  was  started  on  what  was 
expected  to  be  a  permanent  line.  A  single  trip  sufficed, 
and  the  steamer  went  back  to  Chile. 

Other  equally  futile  attempts  of  a  similar  character  in 
the  early  fifties  and  also  in  the  early  sixties  might  be  men- 
tioned. It  was  not  until  1868  that  anything  like  regular 
steamer    communication    with    the    Hawaiian    Islands    was 


92  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  —  Past  and  Future 

established,  though  during  the  previous  two  years  there  had 
been  occasional  trips  by  steamers. 

The  first  of  these  was  by  the  propeller  Ajax,  despatched 
by  the  California  Steam  Navigation  Company.  This  steamer 
left  here  January  13,  1866,  returning  February  22d,  and  on 
her  second  trip  on  April  11th. 

That  was  experiment  enough  in  that  direction  for  the 
California  Steam  Navigation  Company,  and  in  the  follow- 
ing year,  April,  1867,  the  company  sold  all  its  ocean  steamers 
to  the  California,  Oregon  and  Mexican  Steamship  Company 
for  about  $700,000. 

The  next  step  in  the  establishment  of  a  steam  line 
between  San  Francisco  and  Honolulu  was  made  by  the 
California,  Oregon  and  Mexican  Steamship  Company.  This 
was  the  third  serious  attempt  along  this  line. 

The  vessel  selected  for  this  experiment  was  the  pro- 
peller Idaho.  This  steamer  had  been  on  the  coast  only  a 
few  months,  having  arrived  here  from  Bath,  Me.,  on  Feb- 
ruary 8,  1867. 

The  Idaho  left  here  on  her  first  trip  to  the  Islands  on 
September  5,  1867.  She  made  three  trips  in  the  last  four 
months  of  that  year,  and  monthly  trips  thereafter  until 
May,  1870,  being  relieved  from  time  to  time  by  the  Montana. 

In  May,  1870,  a  new  enterprise  was  projected  which  was 
expected  to  continue  the  monthly  service  of  the  previous 
three  years. 

This  movement  originated  in  Australia  under  the  aus- 
pices of  Mr.  Hall,  who  had  promised  to  run  steamers  from 
Sydney  to  San  Francisco  via  New  Zealand  and  the  Hawaiian 
Islands,  and  who  had  secured  a  subsidy  of  12,000  pounds 
per  annum  from  the  New  Zealand  Government  for  that 
purpose. 

The  British  steamer  Wonga  Wonga  was  put  on  at  Sydney 
as  the  pioneer  steamer  of  the  new  through  line  between  the 
Colonies  and  California. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  93 

But  the  Wonga  Wonga  did  not  make  good  on  that  trip, 
for  she  got  no  further  than  Honolulu. 

At  that  time  the  reciprocity  treaty  between  the  Hawaiian 
Islands  and  the  United  States  was  hanging  fire  in  the 
United  States  Senate,  and  the  Hawaiian  planters  were  try- 
ing to  hurry  a  decision  by  threatening  to  send  their 
sugar  elsewhere  than  to  this  country. 

It  was  thought  that  an  example  of  that  kind  would  have 
a  good  effect  in  emphasizing  their  threats,  and  so  they  inter- 
viewed the  parties  managing  the  Wonga  "Wonga  with  an 
offer  of  $10  per  ton,  to  take  a  cargo  of  pulp  and  sugar  to 
Australia  instead  of  proceeding  to  San  Francisco.  The  offer 
was  accepted. 

The  steamer  Idaho  was  then  at  Honolulu,  and  though  her 
freight  and  cabin  accommodations  were  apparently  all 
engaged,  it  was  agreed  that  she  should  take  the  passengers 
and  freight  brought  to  Honolulu  by  the  Wonga  Wonga 
through  to  San  Francisco.  This  she  did,  arriving  here  on 
May  5,  1870. 

The  Ajax,  which  was  300  tons  larger  than  the  Idaho, 
was  substituted  for  her,  and  left  here  on  May  1st.  She 
made  four  round  trips  to  Honolulu  in  the  following  four 
months. 

On  her  first  trip  down,  the  Ajax  connected  at  Honolulu 
with  the  steamer  City  of  Melbourne,  second  in  the  new  line 
between  Sydney  and  Honolulu.  On  the  up  trip  the  Ajax 
brought  235  passengers,  about  two-thirds  of  them  being 
from  the  colonies. 

In  September,  1870,  the  Moses  Taylor  was  substituted 
for  the  Ajax,  making  three  round  trips  to  the  islands  in  the 
last  three  months  of  1870  and  three  more  in  the  first  quarter 
of  1871.  The  Ajax  then  resumed  the  service  for  two  months, 
or  until  May,  1871,  when  the  arrangement  with  the  Hall 
steamers  ceased  and  the  Australia  steamers  were  with- 
drawn. 


94  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

This  division  of  the  carrying  trade  between  San  Fran- 
cisco and  Sydney  via  Honolulu  was  then  abandoned. 

A  new  line  was  then  formed  by  Mr.  Webb,  who  had  a 
number  of  idle  steamers  in  port,  and  who  had  become  asso- 
ciated with  Holladay  &  Brenham,  the  managers  of  the  Cali- 
fornia, Oregon  and  Mexican  Steamship  Company.  About 
the  same  time  parties  in  Australia  started  a  new  line  which 
also  included  service  from  Honolulu  to  San  Francisco. 

The  pioneer  steamer  selected  for  the  British  line  was 
the  City  of  Melbourne,  and  J.  C.  Merrill  &  Co.  were  appointed 
agents  of  the  line,  while  I.  W.  Raymond  was  selected  as 
agent  of  the  Webb  steamers,  which  consisted  of  the  Moses 
Taylor,  Nevada,  Nebraska  and  Dakota. 

The  Nevada  sailed  hence  for  Sydney  on  her  initial  trip 
on  April  8,  1871.  On  her  return  she  was  to  transfer  at  Hono- 
lulu her  passengers  and  freight  to  the  Moses  Taylor  to  com- 
plete the  trip  to  San  Francisco. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  British  line  was  a  through  line 
from  Sydney  to  San  Francisco  via  Auckland  and  Honolulu. 

Webb  kept  up  his  line  with  more  or  less  regularity 
throughout  1871  and  1872,  but  in  the  spring  of  1873  he  called 
in  his  steamers  and  laid  them  up. 

What  became  of  this  British  line  is  a  part  of  another 
story  told  elsewhere. 

As  soon  as  the  Honolulu  route  was  abandoned  in  1873, 
the  Pacific  Mail  Company  took  up  the  service,  and  put  on 
the  Costa  Rica.  In  coming  into  this  port  on  her  fifth  round 
trip  she  ran  on  the  rocks  and  was  wrecked. 

This  settled  the  business  of  an  independent  line  to  Hono- 
lulu for  the  next  four  years. 

In  1878,  the  Pacific  Mail  Company  again  took  up  the 
service  by  chartering  the  steamers  St.  Paul  and  Wilming- 
ton, each  of  which  made  three  round  trips  during  the  greater 
part  of  the  sugar  season,  giving  the  Hawaiians  monthly 
service  for  six  months  of  that  year. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  95 

The  route  was  then  uncovered  as  an  independent  one  for 
the  next  three  years  or  more,  though  the  Australian  steamer 
continued  to  call  monthly  at  Honolulu  both  in  going  and 
coming  between  San  Francisco  and  Sydney. 

The  final  effort  to  establish  a  direct  and  independent  line 
between  San  Francisco  and  Honolulu  was  made  by  the 
Oceanic  Steamship  Company.  The  Spreckels  were  the  lead- 
ing factors  in  that  effort. 

The  British  steamer  Suez,  2,125  tons,  was  chartered  for 
this  purpose,  and  made  six  round  trips  in  1882,  leaving  here 
on  her  first  trip  June  5th.  She  made  the  same  number  of 
trips  in  the  first  half  of  1883.  After  discharging  her  cargo 
at  Honolulu  on  the  last  trip,  she  proceeded  to  Hongkong, 
whence  she  came  in  1882. 

During  the  operation  of  this  one  year  charter,  the  Oceanic 
Steamship  Company  was  having  built  at  Philadelphia  two 
iron  propellers  for  the  same  trade. 

These  were  named  Alameda  and  Mariposa,  each  1,939 
tons  register.  The  last  named  arrived  here  July  15,  1883, 
in  a  trip  of  57  days  from  Philadelphia  and  entered  the  ser- 
vice to  Honolulu  on  July  25th. 

The  Alameda  arrived  on  September  22d  of  the  same  year, 
under  command  of  Captain  Steele  in  a  trip  of  46  days  from 
Philadelphia,  the  shortest  made  on  that  route  up  to  that 
time.     She  sailed  for  Honolulu  October  15th. 

On  her  first  trip  back  from  Honolulu,  under  Captain 
Howard,  who  brought  her  out  from  the  East,  she  made  the 
run  up  in  6i/^  days,  while  the  Alameda  made  her  first  run 
up  in  6  days,  and  was  turned  over  to  Captain  Morse. 

These  two  vessels  were  the  speediest  and  most  comfort- 
able ever  put  on  that  route,  and  gave  to  Honolulu  a  satis- 
factory semi-monthly  service  for  the  next  two  years,  exclu- 
sive of  the  auxiliary  service  of  another  line  from  Australia 
and  that  furnished  by  the  China  steamer  of  the  Pacific  Mail. 


96  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  FtUure 

In  the  latter  part  of  1885,  the  Oceanic  Company  extended 
the  service  to  Australia  and  transferred  the  Alameda  and 
Mariposa  to  that  branch,  but  kept  up  an  independent 
monthly  service  with  Honolulu  by  placing  the  steamer  Aus- 
tralia on  that  route. 

This  arrangement  was  continued  in  force  for  many  years, 
all  the  steamers  of  the  company  in  the  Australian  line  call- 
ing at  Honolulu,  thus  practically  supplying  the  Hawaiians 
with  an  independent  semi-monthly  service  with  San  Fran- 
cisco. 

The  Oceanic  Steamship  Company  has  never  once  lost  its 
grip  on  the  route  between  San  Francisco  and  Honolulu. 
Even  after  it  gave  up  the  Australian  service,  it  kept  the 
Alameda  on  the  route  between  Honolulu  and  San  Francisco, 
and  when  two  years  ago  it  parted  with  the  Alameda,  it  put 
on  the  Sierra,  and  she  has  since  been  performing  equally 
good  service. 

Between  1866  and  1886,  both  years  inclusive,  there  were 
160  independent  steamer  trips  between  Honolulu  and  San 
Francisco,  representing  244,300  tons  of  tonnage. 

The  use  of  steamers  on  the  Honolulu  route,  as  will  be 
observed  by  this  review  of  such  service,  despite  the  several 
lapses  noted,  has  been  an  interesting  as  well  as  an  impor- 
tant feature  of  the  tonnage  movement  of  the  port  of  San 
Francisco, 

Prior  to  the  use  of  this  motive  power  in  1868,  sailing 
vessels  monopolized  the  trade,  and  at  one  time  a  large  fleet 
of  these  sailing  vessels  was  required  to  handle  the  business, 
and  while  this  fleet  embraced  some  fast  sailers,  the  steamers 
have  driven  nearly  all  of  them  from  the  route. 

The  service  even  under  steam  is  fairly  profitable,  because 
of  the  ability  of  these  carriers  to  get  good  cargoes  both  ways 
during  the  greater  part  of  the  year. 

Sugar,  of  course,  is  the  principal  item  in  the  outward 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  97 

cargoes  from  the  islands,  but  the  sugar  crop  has  been  increas- 
ing from  year  to  year,  and  probably  has  not  yet  reached  its 
maximum,  while  other  products  for  cargoes  are  also  being 
developed  on  a  larger  scale. 

The  revenue  from  passenger  traffic  has  added  materially 
to  the  income  obtained  from  the  service. 

Steam  Line  to  Australia. 

Steam  communication  with  Australia  is  a  still  later  devel- 
opment than  that  mentioned  in  connection  with  the  Hawaiian 
Islands,  and  necessarily  interwoven  to  some  extent  with  that 
part  of  the  narrative. 

Residents  of  the  Colonies  have  apparently  taken  more 
interest  than  Americans  in  the  establishment  of  steamer 
lines  between  the  Colonies  and  California. 

This  is  perhaps  natural  because  of  the  greater  interest 
they  have  had  in  the  movement  on  account  of  the  better 
service  obtainable  by  way  of  San  Francisco  to  London  than 
by  any  other  route. 

Not  only  does  it  furnish  a  quicker  service  in  the  trans- 
mission of  mail  between  the  Colonies  and  England,  but  it 
affords  the  traveling  public  with  a  more  interesting  and 
agreeable  trip. 

At  first  the  Colonists  tried  to  establish  a  steamer  route 
with  Panama,  thence  across  the  Isthmus  by  rail  to  Aspinwall, 
thence  by  water  to  London.  For  some  reason  that  proposi- 
tion did  not  meet  with  favor,  and  the  experiment  was  aban- 
doned. 

The  first  actual  experiment  of  a  steamer  line  between 
Australia  and  California  originated  in  the  Colonies.  New 
Zealand  was  the  most  active  in  that  movement,  and  voted 
the  proposed  line  a  subsidy  of  12,000  pounds  per  annum 
for  carrying  the  mails. 

Mr.  Hall  was  the  prime  mover  in  that  enterprise,  and 
secured  the  steamers  Wonga  Wonga  and  City  of  Melbourne 


98  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

for  one  year  in  the  service,  which  was  opened  in  May,  1870. 

These  steamers  never  got  any  further  than  Honolulu, 
where  their  passengers  and  freight  were  transferred  to 
American  steamers  to  complete  the  service  to  San  Francisco. 
This  arrangement  lasted  just  one  year. 

The  next  steamer  enterprise  on  the  route,  instead  of  the 
union  of  British  and  American  in  a  single  line,  two  through 
lines  were  formed,  one  under  American  and  the  other  under 
British  auspices. 

W.  H.  Webb,  a  prominent  shipbuilder  and  shipowner,  was 
the  promoter  of  the  American  line,  and  he  placed  in  the 
service  the  steamers  Dakota,  Moses  Taylor,  Nevada  and 
Nebraska. 

The  Moses  Taylor  was  to  run  between  Honolulu  and  San 
Francisco  as  that  part  of  the  service,  and  the  other  three 
were  to  cover  the  route  between  Honolulu  and  Sydney.  The 
service  was  to  be  monthly. 

Mr.  Webb  opened  the  line  by  sending  the  Nevada  from 
San  Francisco  on  April  8,  1871,  under  command  of  Captain 
J.  H.  Blethen.  The  Nebraska  followed  on  May  6th,  under 
command  of  Captain  Harding.  The  Dakota  did  not  arrive 
from  New  York  until  November,  1872,  when  she  was  imme- 
diately placed  in  the  line. 

This  American  line  was  maintained  until  the  spring  of 
1873,  having  been  in  operation  for  the  space  of  two  years. 

While  this  American  line  was  being  formed  and  put  in 
operation  at  this  end  of  the  route,  a  British  line  was  being 
formed  at  the  other  end,  via  Auckland  and  Honolulu. 

The  first  steamer  in  this  line  was  the  City  of  Melbourne, 
which  arrived  here  in  June,  1871,  with  55  passengers  and  a 
small  lot  of  sugar  from  Honolulu.  She  was  consigned  to 
J.  C.  Merrill  &  Co. 

This  steamer  was  followed  by  the  Wonga  Wonga  in  the 
following  month  and  the  City  of  Adelaide  in  August.    These 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  99 

registered  838,  1,002  and  1,212  tons,  respectively.  The  new- 
line  was  called  the  California,  New  Zealand  and  Australian 
Mail  Line,  in  which  Mr.  Hall  appeared  to  have  been  inter- 
ested. 

The  company  expected  a  subsidy  of  10,000  pounds  from 
Queensland,  25,000  pounds  from  New  South  "Wales  and  10,000 
pounds  from  Victoria,  under  a  promise  of  a  branch  line 
between  Auckland  and  the  Fiji  Islands. 

This  enterprise  was  not  even  a  nine  months  wonder.  The 
first  named  two  steamers  made  two  trips  each  and  the  last 
named  one  trip.     That  was  the  end  of  the  enterprise. 

In  1874,  another  attempt  was  made  to  cover  the  route 
with  a  British  line.  This  was  more  successful  than  any 
of  its  predecessors,  domestic  or  foreign. 

The  first  steamer  in  this  new  line  was  the  Macgregor, 
2,167  tons,  which  arrived  at  San  Francisco  on  her  initial 
trip  from  Sydney  on  January  25,  1874,  in  a  passage  of  35 
days,  including  a  detention  of  25  hours  at  Honolulu.  She 
brought  75  through  passengers  and  the  English  mails. 

This  service  was  also  to  be  monthly.  In  February  the 
City  of  Melbourne,  838  tons,  came  to  hand,  followed  in 
March  by  the  arrival  of  the  Mikado,  3,034  tons,  and  in  April 
by  the  Tartar,  2,254  tons. 

These  steamers  alternated  with  each  other,  with  an  occa- 
sional relief  boat  through  1874  and  1875,  making  thirteen 
round  trips  in  each  year,  equal  to  a  four- weekly  service.  The 
agents  of  this  line  were  J.  C.  Merrill  &  Co. 

In  November,  1875,  the  Pacific  Mail  Company  again  took 
up  the  service  of  a  line  between  California  and  the  Colonies 
under  a  small  subsidy. 

The  pioneer  in  this  new  American  line  was  the  British 
steamer  Vasco  de  Gama,  2,912  tons,  previously  in  the  employ 
of  the  company  under  a  charter  in  the  China  tea  service. 

The  company  also  secured,  pending  some  steamers  being 


100  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

built  for  the  company  at  the  East,  the  British  steamers 
Mikado,  Australian  and  Zealandia. 

Of  course  this  new  enterprise  run  the  British  line  off,  the 
last  steamer  inward  on  account  of  that  line  being  the  City 
of  Melbourne  in  January,  1876. 

On  December  10,  1875,  the  Pacific  Mail  Company  placed 
on  the  route  its  new  iron  steamer  City  of  San  Francisco, 
together  with  its  iron  steamers  Colima  and  Granada,  the 
last  named  two  for  one  trip  each,  pending  the  arrival  from 
the  East  of  its  new  iron  steamers  City  of  Sydney  and  City 
of  New  York.  All  the  above  steamers  were  in  the  service 
in  1876. 

The  Pacific  Mail  Company  in  this  second  attempt  cov- 
ered and  controlled  the  Australia  line  for  ten  years,  or  from 
November,  1875,  to  November,  1885. 

Upon  the  surrender  of  that  control,  the  Oceanic  Steam- 
ship Company,  which  had  been  operating  a  semi-monthly 
line  for  two  years  between  Honolulu  and  San  Francisco  with 
its  fine  iron  steamers  Alameda  and  Mariposa,  took  up  the 
service  by  placing  these  two  steamers  and  the  Australia  and 
Zealandia  on  the  route  between  San  Francisco  and  Sydney 
via  Honolulu  and  Auckland. 

Under  this  arrangement  there  was  no  break  in  the  con- 
tinuity of  the  service  or  in  its  efficiency.  The  Pacific  Mail 
Company  had  given  the  Australians  the  longest  and  best 
term  of  service  they  had  ever  enjoyed  with  California,  and 
this  was  fully  maintained  by  the  Oceanic  Company. 

These  four  steamers  of  the  Oceanic  Company  covered 
the  route  pending  the  arrival  of  three  others  that  had  been 
ordered  to  be  constructed  in  Philadelphia. 

The  first  of  these  new  steamers  to  arrive  was  the  Sierra 
in  November,  1900.  She  made  the  trip  from  Philadelphia 
to  San  Francisco  in  39  2-3  days,  the  best  on  record  up  to 
that  time.     The  Sierra  is  3,756  tons,  and  for  the  past  year 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  101 

or  more  she  has  been  doing  as  good  service  as  ever  in  the 
Honolulu  trade. 

The  other  two  steamers  built  at  Philadelphia  arrived  in 
the  following  two  months,  the  Sonoma  reporting  at  this  port 
in  December,  38  days  and  9  hours,  and  the  Ventura,  3,936 
tons,  in  February,  1901,  in  39  days. 

Immediately  upon  the  arrival  of  these  steamers  they  were 
placed  on  the  Australian  route  and  performed  excellent 
service,  making  their  trips  with  clock-like  regularity. 

The  schedule  in  force  called  for  a  four-weekly  service 
and  these  steamers  met  every  requirement  for  speed  and 
comfort. 

The  company  had  a  small  subsidy  for  some  years,  and 
even  that  pittance  was  finally  withdrawn. 

In  the  report  of  the  Oceanic  Company  for  January  21, 
1902,  the  gross  earnings  of  the  vessels  were  given  at  $2,002,- 
219;  operating  expenses,  $1,908,036.  The  net  loss  for  that 
year's  work  was  reported  at  $212,726.  Only  one  dividend  of 
$12,500  was  paid  that  year,  and  this  was  on  February  1, 
1901. 

At  that  time  the  company  had  been  in  operation  over 
nine  years  and  for  seven  years  on  the  Australian  route  via 
Honolulu.  The  dividend  paid  on  February  1,  1901,  was 
numbered  113. 

The  assets  of  the  company  at  the  close  of  1901  were  given 
as  $3,957,276,  of  which  $3,649,646  represented  the  company's 
interest  in  seven  steamers,  the  last  three  new  ones  being 
valued  at  $808,000  to  $825,000  apiece. 

The  liabilities  were  $2,405,000  for  outstanding  bonds 
and  $646,037  due  J.  D.  Spreckels  &  Bro. 

In  1902  the  deficit  between  the  gross  earnings  and  the 
operating  and  general  expenses  was  $349,304.  The  net  loss 
in  the  following  year  under  the  same  comparison  was 
$234,672. 


102  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

The  value  of  the  fleet  at  the  close  of  1902  was  given  as 
$4,101,884  and  at  the  close  of  1903  at  $4,363,356. 

Subsequent  years  in  the  same  service  were  attended 
with  loss. 

In  1908,  the  Oceanic  Company  withdrew  from  the  Aus- 
tralian route  and  put  all  the  steamers  engaged  on  that 
service  out  of  commission  as  fast  as  they  arrived.  Three 
of  the  vessels  so  retired  were  the  latest  ones  built  for  the 
company,  namely,  the  Sierra,  Sonoma  and  Ventura. 

The  Sonoma  and  Ventura  have  been  lying  idle  in  this 
port  ever  since. 

The  Sierra  was  placed  in  the  Honolulu  trade  in 
March,  1910,  in  place  of  the  Alameda,  sold  to  the 
Alaska  Packers  Association. 

It  is  doubtful  if  any  of  these  experiments  in  running 
steamers  between  California  and  the  Colonies  or  the  Colo- 
nies and  California — some  of  them  having  been  inaugurated 
at  one  end  of  the  route  and  some  at  the  other — have  ever 
netted  the  promoters  much  profit. 

The  traffic  in  freight  and  passengers  has  been  altogether 
too  one-sided  to  produce  the  best  results,  or  even  remuner- 
ative results  at  all  commensurate  with  the  value  of  the  time 
and  capital  put  into  the  enterprises. 

Between  1871  and  1886,  both  years  inclusive,  there  were 
184  steamer  arrivals  at  San  Francisco  from  Australia,  rep- 
resenting 395,600  tons  of  tonnage. 

Despite  all  these  failures  to  maintain  an  uninterrupted 
steamer  service  between  California  and  the  Colonies,  and 
despite  all  the  discouragements  and  drawbacks  that  have 
attended  these  experiments,  the  route  was  not  long  aban- 
doned by  the  Oceanic  Steamship  Company,  than  other  par- 
ties, principally  in  the  Colonies,  took  up  the  work  so  will- 
ingly laid  down. 

As  a  result,  there  has  been  some  sort  of  steamer  service 
between  Sydney  and  San  Francisco  by  other  parties  and 


San '^Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  103 

other  steamers.  It.  is  barely  possible  that  some  of  these 
efforts  may  result  in  establishing  a  distinctive  and  regular 
line  between  the  two  points. 

This  is  not  impossible,  and  such  a  result  is  becoming- 
more  and  more  likely  as  the  years  go  by.  There  is  no  way 
of  reaching  Australia  from  the  mainland  than  by  water. 
The  Colonies  have  long  maintained  a  monthly  steamer  line 
between  Sydney  and  British  Columbia,  and  several  steamers 
have  been  loaded  at  Newcastle  with  coal  for  San  Fran- 
cisco. Steamers  with  passengers  and  assorted  freight  ought 
to  be  able  to  compete  with  steam  colliers. 

Steam  Line  to  Society  Islands. 

There  has  been  more  or  less  trade  with  Society  Islands 
by  San  Francisco  for  many  years,  but  until  within  the  last 
few  years  most  of  this  traffic  has  been  performed  by  sailing- 
vessels. 

Every  little  while  dissatisfaction  made  over  some  long 
trip  by  a  sailing  vessel  has  brought  out  the  desire  for  a 
steam  line  on  that  route  from  this  port,  but  this  desire 
has  been  generally  suppressed  by  the  statement  that  such 
a  service  was  impracticable  without  a  subsidy,  and  every 
effort  to  obtain  such  aid  has  failed. 

The  first  serious  attempt  to  establish  such  a  line  was 
made  in  1885,  and  it  came  about  in  this  way.  The  Oceanic 
Commercial  Society  of  Hamburg  owned  the  German  iron 
steamer  Raiatea,  and  she  was  sent  out  from  that  port  to 
Tatiti,  and  thence  to  San  Francisco,  arriving  here  April 
13,  1885,  in  a  trip  of  IQi/s  days  from  Tahiti. 

She  was  immediately  put  on  the  route  to  Tahiti.  She 
made  four  round  trips  in  1885  and  five  in  1886.  The  up 
trip  consumed  from  21  to  26  days,  which  was  hardly  much 
better  than  the  average  time  of  sailing  vessels.  She  could 
get  no  subsidy  for  carrying  the  mails,  and  hence  there  was 
no  inducement  to  shorten  the  trips. 


104  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

The  line  was  practically  abandoned  before  the  end  of 
1886.  On  her  May  trip  down,  after  discharging  cargo,  she 
was  sent  to  Valparaiso  in  hopes  of  finding  a  purchaser  there. 

Failing  in  that,  she  came  back  to  this  port  in  September, 
and  then  made  two  more  round  trips  to  Tahiti. 

Her  last  departure  from  this  port  under  that  renewal 
of  service  was  in  January,  1887.  At  that  time  she  was  under 
charter  to  L.  Sresovich  &  Co.  for  two  round  trips  between 
San  Francisco  and  Tahiti. 

But  she  never  returned,  and  she  never  will.  At  2  o  'clock 
on  Sunday  morning,  February  13,  1887,  the  rotund  German, 
Captain  Vierick,  was  aroused  and  called  to  the  deck  by  the 
cry  of  fire. 

In  looking  for  the  origin  of  this  alarm  he  found  it  when 
his  whiskers  and  eyelashes  were  burned.  He  immediately 
ordered  the  engine  stopped,  and  the  vessel  brought  to,  so 
as  to  stop  the  draft.  As  there  was  considerable  oil  on  board 
and  no  chance  of  extinguishing  the  fire,  the  boats  were  low- 
ered and  the  passengers  and  crew  hurried  into  them,  when 
the  steamer  was  abandoned  to  her  fate. 

Captain  Vierick  had  been  often  laughed  at  for  keeping 
a  compass  on  the  small  boats,  but  it  came  to  be  of  great 
service  at  last. 

At  the  time  of  the  accident,  the  steamer  was  not  far 
from  the  Islands,  and  the  small  boats  were  headed  in  that 
direction,  where  they  arrived  safely,  though  the  occupants 
suffered  considerably  from  the  great  heat  and  light  diet. 

One  of  the  passengers,  Mr.  Briel,  died  the  next  day 
after  leaving  the  steamer.  It  was  said  that  he  died  from 
fright.  It  was  also  reported  that  owing  to  the  rapid  spead 
of  the  flames,  he  was  drawn  from  his  berth  through  a  bulls- 
eye  not  over  12  inches  in  diameter. 

Subsequent  to  that  event,  there  were  occasional  trips 
made  by  steamers  on  the  same  route,  but  no  one  had  the 
courage  to  install  a  service  with  any  promise  of  permanency. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  105 

It  was  only  a  few  years  ago  that  the  Oceanic  Steamship 
Company  undertook  the  task  by  placing  in  that  service  its 
splendid  steamer  Mariposa,  which  has  maintained  a  monthly 
service  with  much  regularity  ever  since. 

It  is  hoped  that  a  service  as  frequent  and  as  good  may 
be  maintained  indefinitely.  The  trade  is  not  large,  and  may 
never  become  very  important.  The  cargoes  down  are  of 
moderate  size,  being  of  a  value  of  $30,000  to  $40,000.  The 
up  cargoes  are  still  smaller  and  of  less  value. 

The  Society  Islands  are  capable  of  producing  more 
freight,  but  the  difficuffilty  has  been  in  getting  labor.  The 
natives  are  not  disposed  to  do  any  more  work  than  they 
can  help,  and  other  laborers  appear  to  follow  their  example. 

The  climate  is  said  to  favor  inactivity,  and  that  is  an 
element  hard  to  overcome.  Modern  methods  of  working  the 
soil  might  help  out  some  if  applied. 

The  islands  can  produce  cotton  and  sugar  and  rubber 
as  well  as  cocoanuts  and  tropical  fruits.  California  used  to 
consume  many  boxes  of  Tahiti  oranges. 

In  addition  to  all  this,  the  line  ought  to  be  maintained 
for  the  pleasure  if  affords  tourists.  A  trip  around  the 
world  that  does  not  include  a  visit  to  the  Society  Islands 
is  not  a  complete  success.  The  Mariposa  makes  the  run  in 
twelve  days  and  trips  so  far  have  been  devoid  of  accidents. 

Steam  Lines  to  South  America. 

South  America  sent  some  steamers  to  San  Francisco  in 
the  early  fifties.  Two  steamers  from  that  country  are  known 
to  have  arrived  in  1854. 

Between  1856  and  1865,  an  interval  of  ten  years,  the 
tonnage  arrivals  of  steam  and  sail  at  this  port  from  South 
America  amounted  to  81,160  tons,  or  from  6,900  tons  in  the 
former  to  16,200  tons  in  the  latter  year. 

The  tonnage  sent  from  San  Francisco  to  South  America 


106  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

was  very  much  larger.  There  was  an  abundance  of  idle 
tonnage  in  this  port  during  that  interval,  and  it  was  drawn 
upon  quite  freely  for  the  guano  and  dyewoods  trade.  The 
total  sent  hence  to  that  country  for  these  and  other  purposes 
was  573,000  tons,  equal  to  an  average  of  57,300  tons  per 
annum,  and  it  was  quite  evenly  distributed  during  that 
interval. 

Since  1865,  there  have  been  many  attempts  to  inaugurate 
a  permanent  steamer  line  between  South  American  ports 
and  San  Francisco,  both  for  account  of  Peru  and  Chile,  but 
most  of  them  were  abandoned  after  a  few  months  of  unprofit- 
able experience. 

In  later  years  these  attempts  have  been  of  a  more  endur- 
ing character.  However,  because  of  the  many  interruptions 
to  the  service,  it  is  hardly  worth  while  to  go  into  the  details 
of  these  operations  prior  to  1900. 

In  the  first  decade  of  the  present  century  there  has  been 
considerable  improvement  in. the  service,  though  in  some  of 
these  years  there  have  been  some  weak  spots,  especially  in 
the  steamer  movements. 

In  1901,  the  arrivals  at  San  Francisco  from  South 
America  numbered  60,  representing  102,600  tons  of  tonnage, 
including  27  steamers  of  47,100  tons. 

In  the  very  next  year  there  was  a  falling  off  50  per  cent, 
the  total  arrivals  being  30  of  51,400  tons,  including  11 
steamers  of  18,400  tons. 

There  was  quite  an  improvement  in  1903,  when  the 
arrivals  were  23  of  64,600  tons,  including  18  steamers  of 
54,400  tons. 

In  1904,  so  far  as  can  be  recalled,  there  was  only  one 
steamer  and  12  sail  vessels,  with  an  aggregate  tonnage  of 
20,400  tons. 

In  1905,  the  aggregate  movement  was  21,000  tons,  includ- 
ing 8  steamers  of  17,000  tons. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  107 

In  1906,  there  was  25,200  tons,  including  10  steamers 
of  22,200  tons. 

The  9  steamers  in  1907  registered  21,600  tons.  There 
were  no  sail  vessels  that  year. 

For  the  following  two  years  the  movement  was  quite 
even,  and  each  case  double  what  it  was  in  1907.  The  total 
for  1908  was  43,600  tons,  including  12  steamers  of  38,500 
tons,  while  the  total  for  1909  was  43,500  tons,  including  12 
steamers  of  37,600  tons. 

The  year  1910,  the  last  in  this  review,  was  the  best  for 
the  entire  decade.  There  were  31  arrivals  that  year  of 
104,400  tons,  including  30  steamers  of  102,600  tons. 

The  changes  between  steamers  and  sail  vessels  in  that 
interval  were  quite  marked. 

The  total  arrivels  for  the  decade  were  221,  of  498,800 
tons,  including  138  steamers  of  360,800  tons  of  tonnage. 

At  present  the  service  between  California  and  South 
America  is  practically  in  the  hands  of  steamship  owners 
and  they  are  likely  to  retain  it  and  develop  it  even  more 
extensively  and  rapidly  than  during  the  past  decade. 

W.  E.  Grace  &  Co.  have  been  prominent  in  this  trade  for 
many  years. 

German  Steam  Line. 

This  is  better  known  as  the  Kosmos  or  Hamburg  Line. 

This  German  enterprise  was  formed  in  Hamburg  in  1899. 
It  contemplated  a  monthly  service  between  Hamburg  and 
San  Francisco  via  sundry  European  ports,  the  Straits  of 
Magellan  and  South  America. 

It  was  a  bold  undertaking,  and  required  considerable 
courage  and  capital.  Nothing  like  it  had  been  previously 
attempted.  The  distance  to  be  covered  was  of  unusual 
length,  the  ports  of  call  on  the  way  many,  and  the  trip  was 
likely  to  consume  one  hundred  days  or  more,  though  it  has 
been  covered  in  much  less  time. 


108  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

The  first  steamer  entered  out  was  the  Tanis,  1,821  tons, 
which  arrived  at  San  Francisco  on  December  14,  1899,  in  a 
trip  of  89  days.  Evidently  this  steamer  did  not  make  as 
many  stops  as  those  leaving  subsequently,  the  trips  of  nearly 
all  of  which  have  exceeded  100  days,  and  many  of  them  have 
been  beyond  110  days,  including  some  that  took  120  to  130 
days  for  the  voyage. 

The  Tanis  left  here  on  her  return  trip  on  December  21, 
1899,  after  a  stay  here  of  just  one  week.  The  cargo  she 
took  from  this  port  was  valued  at  $89,800. 

There  were  fourteen  steamer  arrivals  in  this  line  in  the 
first  fifteen  months,  which  virtually  fulfilled  the  promise  of 
a  monthly  line. 

Six  more  steamers  arrived  here  in  the  same  line  before 
the  return  of  the  Tanis  on  September  6,  1900. 

The  fourteen  steamers  on  the  line  that  left  here  up  to 
March  1,  1901,  carried  cargoes  to  the  value  of  $1,504,000. 

The  managers  were  so  well  pleased  with  the  results  of 
the  business  that  they  promised  to  do  better  in  the  future, 
even  going  so  far  as  to  guarantee  an  average  arrival  every 
twenty  days. 

This  promise  was  literally  made  good  in  1902  when  the 
arrivals  averaged  a  little  better  than  one  for  every  twenty 
days,  as  there  were  twenty  for  that  year,  equal  to  one  for 
every  eighteen  days. 

Up  to  the  close  of  1910,  the  arrivals  at  San  Francisco  in 
this  line  numbered  184,  representing  547,653  tons  of  regis- 
tered tonnage.  The  largest  number  in  any  one  year  was 
22  in  1907,  representing  68,900  tons,  while  in  1910  the  arri- 
vals were  16  of  58,665  tons. 

In  the  last  four  years  there  were  77  arrivals  in  this  line, 
showing  an  average  of  one  arrival  for  every  19  days. 

Considering  the  long  route  and  the  many  ports  of  call, 
and    the    unavoidable    delays    incident    thereto,    the    above 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  —  Past  and  Future  109 

record  is  an  exceedingly  good  one  and  shows  a  commend- 
able persistence  in  the  overcoming  of  obstacles. 

Soon  after  the  inauguration  of  the  line,  the  service  was 
extended  so  as  to  include  Puget  Sound  ports,  and  after  dis- 
charging the  freight  designed  for  distribution  here,  the 
steamers  proceed  to  the  Sound,  calling  at  San  Francisco  on 
the  return  to  finish  cargo  before  starting  on  the  long  trip 
home. 

When  this  line  was  first  proposed,  there  were  some  doubts 
about  the  feasibility  of  the  service,  not  from  a  navigation 
point  of  view,  but  from  the  financial  standpoint. 

The  fact  that  the  service  is  now  in  its  twelfth  year  is 
pretty  good  evidence  that  the  profits  have  been  satisfac- 
tory to  the  parties  interested,  despite  the  losses  and  minor 
accidents  that  have  been  experienced. 

Around  the  World  Line. 

Several  attempts  have  been  made  to  establish  an  around 
the  world  line  of  steamers,  starting  from  some  European 
port  and  via  the  Suez  Canal  to  India,  China  and  Japan, 
thence  back  via  the  Pacific  Coast  and  the  Straits  of  Magel- 
lan or  Cape  Horn  to  Europe. 

Some  of  these  lines  were  started  from  Puget  Sound  and 
others  from  some  port  in  Europe. 

One  of  the  latest  ventures  of  this  kind  was  a  French  line 
starting  from  Havre  via  the  Suez  Canal  and  the  Orient 
and  thence  back  to  Europe  via  San  Francisco. 

The  first  steamer  in  this  line  reached  San  Francisco  in 
June,  1909.  Three  others  followed  in  the  last  half  of  that 
year  and  six  more  during  the  year  1910. 

Thus  far  in  1911  there  has  been  only  two,  one  of  these 
leaving  here  on  February  3d,  and  the  other  on  April  1st. 
This  is  considered  the  last  of  the  enterprise  for  the  present 
at  least. 


110  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

In  all,  six  different  French  steamers  were  employed  in 
this  service,  and  the  San  Francisco  agents  were  G.  W. 
McNear  &  Co. 

American  Hawaiian  Line. 

It  began  to  be  realized  more  than  a  score  of  years  ago 
that  steam  was  encroaching  upon  sail  in  the  ocean  carrying 
trade,  even  in  the  long  routes  that  at  one  time  were  consid- 
ered impossible  to  cover  by  steam  because  of  the  large  quan- 
tity of  coal  that  would  be  needed  between  the  port  of  load- 
ing and  the  port  of  discharge. 

This  condition  was  brought  home  with  much  force  in 
American  shipyards,  where  the  inducements  to  build  sailing 
vessels  had  well  nigh  disappeared. 

To  save  the  entire  abandonment  of  the  one  and  only  route 
still  left  to  American  shipping,  namely,  the  domestic  trade 
between  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific,  it  became  imperative  to 
construct  a  line  of  steamers  to  cover  the  all-water  route 
between  San  Francisco  and  New  York  via  the  Straits  of 
Magellan. 

This  was  known  to  be  something  of  an  undertaking,  for 
big  iron  steamships  cost  money,  especially  when  built  in 
this  country,  and  that  a  good  many  of  them  would  be  needed 
to  meet  the  volume  of  such  trade. 

The  proposition  to  build  such  a  fleet  required  careful 
consideration  and  much  counsel  from  those  best  informed 
in  a  matter  of  such  grave  importance. 

Even  the  most  wealthy  do  not  like  to  put  millions  of 
dollars  in  an  enterprise  without  some  pretty  good  assurance 
that  it  will  pay,  or  at  least  that  they  can  get  back  in  time 
a  new  dollar  for  the  one  invested. 

Finally  it  was  decided  to  go  ahead,  and  orders  were 
given  both  on  the  Atlantic  and  the  Pacific  to  proceed  with 
the  construction  of  a  sufficient  number  of  steamers  with  large 
carrying  capacity  for  a  service  between  New  York  and  San 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  111 

Francisco,  and  incidentally  between  other  Atlantic  and  other 
Pacific  ports. 

A  corporation  was  formed  under  the  name  of  the  Ameri- 
can-Hawaiian Steamship  Company  with  an  ample  capital 
and  a  strong  directorate. 

With  the  settlement  of  these  details,  the  contracts  were 
let,  and  the  work  of  building  a  big  fleet  of  freight  steamers 
under  American  auspices  was  simultaneously  started  on  both 
sides  of  the  country. 

The  keels  for  the  first  two  were  laid  for  the  American 
at  Philadelphia  and  for  the  Californian  at  San  Francisco. 
The  last  named  was  the  first  to  be  completed  and  placed  in 
service. 

Owing  to  a  delay  in  the  completion  of  the  American,  the 
steamer  Hyades  was  chartered  to  inaugurate  the  opening 
of  the  line  westward  from  the  Atlantic  side. 

The  steamer  Hyades  registers  2,932  tons  and  arrived  here 
on  that  first  westward  voyage  of  the  new  line  in  December, 
1900. 

It  is  to  be  noticed  as  a  coincidence  that  the  ship  Alex 
Gibson,  the  last  sailing  ship  at  that  time  on  the  route 
between  New  York  and  San  Francisco,  arrived  here  in  the 
same  month,  thus  leaving  that  route  entirely  uncovered  by 
sail  vessels  for  the  first  time  since  1849. 

The  new  steamer  American  followed  the  Hyades  from 
New  York,  arriving  here  in  January,  1901.  After  discharg- 
ing, cargo  for  the  Hawaiian  Islands  to  the  value  of  $68,000 
was  taken,  and  she  cleared  for  the  islands  via  Puget  Sound, 
taking  a  cargo  of  sugar  from  Honolulu  to  New  York. 

The  new  line  at  first  and  for  some  time  afterwards  was 
by  the  way  of  the  Straits  of  Magellan,  thus  abandoning 
the  route  via  Cape  Horn  which  had  previously  been  so  gen- 
erally used  by  vessels  plying  between  domestic  ports  on  the 
Atlantic  and  Pacific. 


112  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

By  the  end  of  1901,  the  new  line  had  made  a  good  start. 
In  August  of  the  same  year,  the  company  had  four  steamers 
in  the   service   and  had   contracted   for  four  more. 

Before  returning  to  New  York,  the  Hawaiian  made  one 
trip  to  Honolulu,  returning  in  June,  1901,  with  a  cargo  of 
8,600  tons  sugar,  the  largest  of  the  kind  that  had  been  landed 
at  this  port  up  to  that  time. 

The  total  amount  of  deep  water  tonnage  that  arrived 
at  San  Francisco  from  all  sources  in  1901  was  745,900  tons, 
of  which  180,700  tons  was  represented  by  86  freight  steamer 
arrivals.  The  total  amount  of  tonnage  from  domestic  Atlan- 
tic ports  included  in  the  foregoing  total  was  46,300  tons,  of 
which  38,900  tons  was  represented  in  the  15  freight  steamer 
arrivals  from  that  source. 

On  her  first  trip  from  New  York  in  1902,  the  steamer 
Californian  came  through  in  62  days.  The  American  came 
in  two  months  later  in  60  days. 

The  Nevadan  arrived  here  on  her  first  trip  from  New 
York  June  25,  1902,  in  61  days.  She  was  followed  by  the 
Oregonian  on  her  first  trip  of  60  days  from  New  York. 

Two  more  new  steamers  in  the  same  line  made  their  first 
trips  from  New  York  in  the  same  year,  the  Nebraskan  in 
October  in  65  days  and  the  Alaskan  in  November  in  59^ 
days,  so  that  by  the  end  of  1902  there  were  at  least  seven 
steamers  under  the  ownership  of  the  company  and  in  active 
service. 

These  seven  steamers  have  since  been  increased  to  seven- 
teen at  an  outlay  by  the  company  of  $11,000,000.  The  big 
steamer  Massachusetts  was  added  in  1911. 

Ten  of  the  company's  steamers  arrived  here  from  New 
York  in  1903,  the  two  new  ones  for  that  year  being  the 
Texan  in  a  trip  of  52%  days,  and  the  Arizonian  via  Los 
Angeles  in  a  trip  of  60  days.  The  steamer  Alaskan,  which 
arrived  in  July,  came  by  way  of  Panama,  making  the  trip 
in  63  days  from  New  York  and  21^/2  days  from  Panama. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  113 

There  were  three  other  steamers  from  New  York  in  1903. 
These  were  the  J.  L.  Luckenbach,  3,192  tons,  in  January, 
and  the  Minnetonka,  3,860  tons,  and  Minnewaska,  3,860  tons, 
the  former  in  June  in  a  trip  of  88  days,  and  the  latter  in 
August,  84  days. 

The  Pacific  Mail  Company's  steamers  Korea  and  Siberia 
arrived  here  on  their  initial  trips  from  Newport  News,  the 
former  in  July,  1902,  in  59  days,  and  the  latter  in  February, 
1903,  in  52  days. 

The  steamers  J.  L.  Luckenbach,  Minnetonka  and  Minne- 
waska returned  to  New  York  with  good  cargoes,  the  first 
going  back  in  March,  carrying  freight  to  the  value  of 
$286,000,  and  the  other  two  in  the  following  September  and 
October,  one  of  them  with  4,700  tons  sugar  and  785  barrels 
wine,  valued  at  $470,000  and  the  other  with  assorted  freight 
valued  at  $285,000. 

At  the  close  of  1903,  the  company  determined  to  substi- 
tute oil  for  fuel  instead  of  coal.  The  plant  was  first  installed 
on  the  Nebraskan 'and  she  left  here  on  January  23,  1904,  for 
New  York  as  an  oil  burner  with  freight  valued  at  $175,000. 
The  experiment  was  perfectly  satisfactory,  and  that  settled 
it  for  the  other  steamers  of  the  line. 

The  completion  of  a  railway  enterprise  in  Mexico  in 
1908  was  an  event  that  the  company  had  been  anxiously 
awaiting  for  some  time,  as  one  that  would  greatly  shorten 
the  service  between  San  Francisco  and  New  York,  and  also 
between  Honolulu  and  New  York,  for  the  transportation  of 
sugar,  in  which  it  had  been  engaged  for  several  years. 

The  steamer  Isthmian,  that  had  been  built  in  this  city, 
was  loaded  and  cleared  for  New  York  direct  with  a  cargo 
valued  at  $275,000  to  take  her  place  on  the  new  route  and 
on  the  Atlantic  side. 

The  steamers  Nebraskan  and  Nevadan  were  the  first 
steamers  placed  in  the  new  route  on  this  side.    The  former 


114  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

left  here  on  her  first  trip  by  the  new  way  on  May  28,  1908, 
and  the  latter  on  June  23d,  each  carrying  through  freight 
for  New  York  valued  at  $27,500  and  $25,000,  respectively. 

The  steamers  sailed  hence  directly  for  Salina  Cruz,  where 
the  freight  was  put  on  cars  and  carried  to  Puerto  Mexico, 
and  there  placed  aboard  the  company's  steamers  direct  for 
New  York. 

After  two  more  round  trips  by  the  same  steamer,  with 
only  through  freight  for  New  York  in  each  case  not  exceed- 
ing a  value  of  $30,000,  arrangements  were  effected  for 
enlarging  the  destinations  to  include  distribution  in  Euro- 
pean ports. 

On  August  20,  1908,  the  Nebraskan  left  for  Salina  Cruz, 
with  freight  for  New  York  valued  at  $106,000,  together  with 
small  consignments  for  England,  Germany  and  Norway,  and 
on  September  12th  the  Nevadan  followed  with  a  value  of 
$127,800  for  New  York,  and  $40,500  for  Great  Britain ;  and 
again  on  October  6th  the  Nebraskan  took  a  value  of  $416,000 
for  New  York,  in  addition  to  small  consignments  for  Europe. 

The  first  big  steamer  to  be  placed  on  this  new  route  was 
the  Alaskan,  which  left  here  on  October  31,  1908,  with  a 
cargo  valued  at  $1,327,300,  including  $1,264,300  for  New 
York,  the  most  valuable  cargo  up  to  that  time  that  had  ever 
been  sent  from  San  Francisco  to  New  York.  The  remainder 
of  the  cargo  was  for  distribution  in  Great  Britain,  Holland, 
Germany  and  other  European  countries. 

Since  then  this  trade  between  the  Pacific  and  the  Atlantic 
via  the  Tehuantepec  route  has  increased  as  the  months  and 
years  have  come  and  gone. 

While  the  service  of  the  American  Hawaiian  Steamship 
Company  from  the  very  start  has  been  generally  satisfactory 
to  shippers  and  importers  on  both  sides  of  the  country,  it  has 
been  especially  so  since  the  opening  of  the  Tehuantepec 
route. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  115 

A  sixty  day  Service  via  the  Straits  of  Magellan  was  a 
great  improvement  over  the  average  of  130  days  by  sailing 
vessels  around  the  Horn. 

Upon  the  opening  of  the  Tehuantepec  route,  the  service 
was  still  further  cut  to  at  least  one-half  the  time  formerly 
consumed  on  the  route  via  the  Straits  of  Magellan. 

Later  the  time  was  still  further  lowered,  some  cargoes 
being  only  21  to  23  days  in  transit. 

Indirectly,  Oregon  and  Washington  have  participated  in 
the  service,  while  Hawaiian  sugar  planters  have  found  it  of 
great  value  in  disposing  of  the  steadily  increasing  sugar 
crops. 

Tramp  Steamer  Service. 

While  all  departments  of  business  are  served  in  the  main 
by  those  especially  fitted  for  the  same,  there  is  alwaj^s  a 
large  army  on  the  outside  willing  to  lend  a  hand  for  a  short 
or  long  period  as  the  inducement  offers. 

It  is  so  with  the  ocean  carrying  trade  the  world  over. 
Usually  vessels  are  built  for  specific  lines,  routes  or  trade. 
When  business  fails  in  any  one  direction,  these  vessels  are 
sent  out  to  seek  business,  wherever  they  can  find  it,  and  any 
kind  of  business  that  may  offer  in  the  same  way  as  a  man 
seeks  a  job. 

Of  course  some  vessels  have  been  built  for  the  general 
market,  and  if  when  finished  they  fail  to  find  a  purchaser, 
the  owners  place  them  for  any  carrying  business  that  may 
offer. 

There  have  always  been  more  or  less  of  such  idle  vessels 
in  all  the  great  ports  of  the  world.  They  happen  to  arrive 
at  some  port  at  the  time  when  they  are  not  needed,  and  the 
owners  have  to  choose  the  alternative  of  retaining  them  in 
idleness  or  despatching  them  to  some  more  favorable  port. 

At  times,  San  Francisco  has  managed  to  utilize  some  of 
these  tramp  vessels,  especially  those  of  the  steamer  type. 


116  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

In  the  pioneer  days  of  San  Francisco,  the  harbor  con- 
tained many  idle  vessels  for  which  there  was  literally  no  use. 

That  was  before  California  furnished  much  freight  of  any 
kind  for  shipment  across  the  seas.  In  some  subsequent  years, 
San  Francisco  with  much  difficulty  secured  the  tonnage 
actually  needed  for  its  coast  and  deep  water  trade. 

Tramp  steamers  got  some  business  out  of  the  port  as 
early  as  1873.  But  it  was  many  years  afterwards  before 
that  experience  was  repeated. 

In  1881,  under  some  rush  orders  for  iron  rails,  several 
steamers  were  sent  here  from  Europe  with  such  cargoes  at 
a  reasonable  rate  of  freight  under  a  guarantee  that  they 
would  be  furnished  return  cargoes  from  this  port. 

For  the  year  ending  November  1,  1882,  eight  of  these 
steamers  with  iron  rails  from  Europe  were  loaded  back, 

In  the  decade  ending  with  September,  1891,  sixteen 
tramp  steamers  found  employment  at  this  port. 

There  were  two  other  reasons  for  the  large  influx  of 
tramp  steamers  in  1881  and  1882. 

One  of  these  was  the  big  wheat  crop  that  had  just  been 
harvested  in  California  and  the  inadequate  supply  of  sail 
tonnage  to  meet  the  urgent  requirements  of  exporters. 

Another  and  equally  important  factor  was  the  desire  to 
rush  as  many  Chinamen  into  the  port  as  possible,  pending 
the  adoption  of  legislation  by  Congress  restricting  importa- 
tions of  that  character. 

At  the  start,  it  was  not  known  just  what  form  this  legis- 
lation would  assume,  but  there  was  a  proposition  to  do  some- 
thing to  curtail  the  movement  within  reasonable  bounds. 

Parties  interested  in  the  employment  of  Chinese  labor, 
fearing  the  supply  might  be  cut  off '  or  greatly  reduced, 
immediately  sought  to  increase  it  even  beyond  their  needs, 
so  that  they  might  have  a  surplus  to  meet  the  anticipated 
wants  of  the  future. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  117 

The  capacity  of  the  steamers  in  the  regular  lines  was 
found  insufficient  to  meet  this  increased  demand  for  coolie 
labor,  and  hence  the  necessity  for  the  employment  of  tramp 
steamers. 

The  first  tramp  steamer  to  arrive  under  this  arrangement 
was  the  Mee  Foo,  1,200  tons.  This  was  a  Chinese  steamer, 
owned  and  manned  by  Chinamen.  A  steamer  bearing  the 
same  flag  had  arrived  during  the  previous  year.  The  Mee 
Foo  made  the  trip  over  in  28  days. 

There  were  four  other  tramp  steamers  from  Hongkong 
in  the  last  half  of  1881,  and  seventeen  more  in  1882. 

The  Chinese  Restriction  Act  adopted  by  Congress  went 
into  effect  August  4,  1882.  The  effect  on  this  form  of  immi- 
gration was  marked. 

For  the  year  1880,  the  whole  number  of  passenger  arri- 
vals at  San  Francisco  from  China  and  Japan  was  6,710. 

In  1881,  the  number  of  such  arrivals  was  19,231,  including 
11,000  for  the  last  half  of  the  year. 

For  the  first  seven  months  of  1882,  preceding  the  opera- 
tion of  the  law,  the  number  was  27,105,  making  over  38,000 
in  thirteen  months,  while  for  the  last  five  months  of  1882, 
the  arrivals  were  only  300. 

In  thirty  months,  33  tramp  steamers  of  67,000  tons  arrived 
at  this  port. 

At  least  two  of  these  violated  the  passenger  act  restrict- 
ing the  number  they  could  carry,  one  having  an  excess  of 
163  and  the  other  an  excess  of  326. 

The  sources  of  this  freight  steamer  tonnage  for  that  year 
were  as  follows:  Eastern  Atlantic  ports,  15  steamers  of 
38,933  tons;  Germany,  16  of  36,951  tons;  South  America,  27 
of  47,095  tons;  Hawaiian  Islands,  8  of  10,000  tons;  British 
Columbia,  9  of  19,622  tons;  Japan,  8  of  20,300;  other  sources, 
3  of  7,545  tons. 

In  1902,  the  steamer  arrivals  from  all  sources  in  the  deep 
water  trade  were  nearly  50  per  cent  greater  than  the  sail 


118  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

arrivals.  There  were  not  many  tramp  steamers  in  this  list, 
though  among  the  few  that  did  arrive  there  was  one  of  ex- 
ceptional size  that  secured  a  charter  to  take  3,000,000  feet 
of  lumber  and  other  cargo  from  Puget  Sound  to  China. 

In  1903,  the  freight  steamer  arrivals  at  San  Francisco 
Avere  98  of  257,200  tons,  against  76  of  196,500  tons  in  1902. 
The  sources  of  the  freight  steamers  in  1903  were  as  follows : 
Eastern  Atlantic  ports,  14  steamers  of  55,800  tons ;  Germany, 
18  of  43,200  tons;  Belgium,  7  of  18,952  tons;  Hawaiian 
Islands,  36  of  80,900  tons;  China,  12  of  31,500  tons;  Japan, 
8  of  21,600  tons ;  other  sources,  3  of  5,500  tons.  The  steamers 
from  Belgium  brought  needed  steel  rails  for  the  Southern 
Pacific  Company. 

Little  was  done  along  this  line  for  the  next  few  years. 

In  1896  there  was  a  renewal  of  this  sort  of  business  on  a 
very  large  scale.  In  the  last  six  months  of  that  year,  twenty- 
five  of  these  steamers  took  cargoes  from  this  port. 

All  these  steamers  came  from  the  Orient,  and  all  were  in 
ballast  upon  arrival,  though  one  by  way  of  Puget  Sound 
discharged  a  cargo  of  tea  before  coming  here. 

After  another  lull  of  four  years,  quite  a  number  of  tramp 
steamers  were  sent  to  this  coast,  and  most  of  them  were 
fortunate  in  securing  cargoes,  seven  of  them  being  loaded 
here,  seven  at  Portland  and  nine  on  the  Sound.  That  was 
the  record  for  the  first  half  of  1901. 

During  the  calendar  year  of  1901,  there  were  86  freight 
steamer  arrivals  at  San  Francisco,  representing  180,700  tons 
of  tonnage.  These  were  altogether  outside  of  the  regular 
freight  and  passenger  lines  with  the  Orient,  Panama,  Mexico, 
Australia,  British  Columbia  and  the  Hawaiian  Islands.  This 
was  the  largest  amount  of  tramp  and  regular  freight 
steamer  tonnage  up  to  that  time. 

The  fifty  freight  steamer  arrivals  in  1900  represented  over 
100,000  tons  of  tonnage.     About  one-fifth  of  the  total  was 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  119 

credited  to  the  regular  Hamburg  freight  line,  which  con- 
tributed 11  steamers  that  year,  or  their  equivalent. 

Another  factor  in  the  tramp  steamer  situation  that  year 
was  the  urgent  demand  of  the  American  and  German  Gov- 
ernments, incident  to  the  troubles  in  China.  In  July  of  that 
year,  there  were  twenty  tramp  steamers  of  48,800  tons  headed 
for  San  Francisco  in  response  to  these  Government  orders. 

The  steamer  tonnage  arrivals  at  San  Francisco  from  all 
deep  water  ports  in  1904  represented  945,000  tons  of  tonnage 
or  more  than  double  the  amount  of  sail  tonnage.  The  list 
included  but  few  tramp  steamers.  Most  of  the  purely  freight 
tonnage  that  year  was  in  the  coal  and  sugar  trade. 

In  the  last  few  years,  while  there  has  been  a  steady 
increase  in  the  tonnage  represented  by  steamer  arrivals  at 
this  port,  tramp  steamers  have  not  figured  to  any  appreciable 
extent  in  the  movement,  and  this  is  probably  true  because  of 
the  wider  sphere  now  covered. 

Dollar  Steamship  Company. 

This  company  has  been  in  operation  only  a  few  years, 
and  was  founded  by  Robert  Dollar,  a  prominent  business 
man. 

The  nucleus  for  the  enterprise  was  the  purchase  of  the 
steamer  Simon  J.  Murphy  which  arrived  at  this  port  from 
Baltimore  in  December,  1901.  This  steamer  was  given  the 
name  of  Melville  S.  Dollar,  and  registered  921  tons. 

The  vessels  subsequently  added  are  the  Bessie  Dollar, 
3,679  tons ;  Grace  Dollar,  289  tons ;  Harold  Dollar,  607  tons ; 
M.  S.  Dollar,  2,713  tons;  Hazel  Dollar,  3,150  tons,  and  Stanley 
Dollar,  983  tons. 

The  Bessie  Dollar  is  the  largest  addition  to  the  fleet.  This 
is  a  splendid  steel  steamer,  built  at  Glasgow  in  1905,  and  of 
course  flies  the  British  flag. 

These  steamers  have  not  been  confined  to  any  special 


120  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

route  or  any  particular  class  of  trade,  either  in  the  domestic 
or  foreign  service. 

They  have  always  been  open  to  any  form  of  engagement 
for  short  or  long  voyages  on  the  coast  or  in  deep  water,  and 
they  have  been  well  employed.  The  latest  addition  to  this 
line  is  the  Robert  Dollar,  3,400  tons. 

California  and  Atlantic  Line. 

One  of  the  latest  deep  water  steam  lines  to  engage  in  the 
commerce  of  San  Francisco  was  put  in  operation  in  the  latter 
part  of  1910  under  the  name  of  the  California  and  Atlantic 
Steamship  Company. 

This  was  the  outcome  of  the  re-opening  of  the  all  sail  line 
between  San  Francisco  and  New  York  via  Cape  Horn  by 
Bates  &  Chesebrough. 

Upon  the  inauguration  of  the  American  Hawaiian  Steam- 
ship Company's  line  between  New  York  and  San  Francisco 
via  the  Straits  of  Magellan  in  1901,  the  business  of  sending 
ships  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  was  practically  aban- 
doned, except  for  a  few  coal  vessels  that  found  their  way 
out  from  Baltimore  and  Philadelphia. 

There  was  scarcely  a  ship  loaded  at  San  Francisco  for  a 
domestic  Atlantic  port  from  1901  to  1908,  respectively. 

In  1902,  there  were  three  ships  thus  loaded  and  the  same 
number  in  1903,  two  in  1905,  but  not  a  single  one  in  1904, 
1906,  1907  or  1908. 

Prior  to  the  suspension  of  the  service  in  1900,  about  a 
dozen  ships  loaded  here  annually  for  New  York. 

In  1909,  the  Cape  Horn  route  received  a  renewal  of  atten- 
tion on  this  side  with  the  despatch  of  the  ships  Aryan, 
Magna  Reva,  Edward  Sewall  and  Astral,  the  barkentine 
Good  News  and  the  steamer  Shawmut,  the  last  named  having 
been  sent  back  to  her  home  port. 

The  Cape  Horn  route  was  similarly  covered  from  this 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  121 

port  in  the  first  half  of  1910,  when  the  ships  Aryan,  Shenan- 
doah, Magna  Reva,  Acme,  Dirigo  and  S.  B.  Carleton  were 
sent  out. 

In  the  last  quarter  of  1910,  Bates  &  Chesebrough,  as  rep- 
resentatives of  the  California  and  Atlantic  Steamship  Com- 
pany, secured  some  half  a  dozen  steamers,  which  were  put 
on  the  route  between  San  Francisco  and  the  Isthmus. 

Eleven  good  sized  cargoes  of  assorted  freight  were 
despatched  by  these  steamers  in  that  interval,  with  through 
freight  for  domestic  Atlantic  ports,  the  same  being  reshipped 
across  the  Isthmus  to  steamers  on  the  other  side,  including  a 
side  service  with  Charleston  and  New  Orleans. 

During  that  brief  interval  the  new  company  made  quite 
a  stir  in  transportation  circles  between  the  Pacific  and  the 
Atlantic. 

Pacific  Coast  Steam  Lines. 

Pacific  Coast  ports  were  given  steam  service  promptlj' 
and  generously  in  1849,  though  most  of  the  earlier  efforts 
were  confined  to  the  Southern  coast,  the  steamers  running 
as  far  south  as  San  Diego. 

At  the  same  time  the  Pacific  Mail  Company,  under  its 
first  subsidy,  sent  its  steamers  as  far  north  as  Portland, 
Oregon. 

The  California  Steam  Navigation  Company  took  up  the 
coast  service  quite  early,  subsequently  relinquishing  the 
same  to  HoUaday  &  Brenham,  the  representatives  of  the 
California  and  Mexican  Steamship  Company  and  the  North- 
ern Pacific   Transportation  Company. 

In  September,  1872,  the  Pacific  Mail  Company  bought 
all  the  Holladay  steamers  and  interests  south  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, and  operated  that  service  until  1874,  and  then  sold 
out  to  Goodall,  Nelson  and  their  associates. 

The  firm  of  Goodall  &  Nelson  was  formed  in  1860.  At 
first  the  business  of  the  firm  was  confined  to  the  employ- 


122  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

ment  of  tug  boats  and  the  supplying  of  vessels  in  the 
harbor  with  fresh  water. 

Things  went  along  in  this  way  for  about  five  years 
before  an  opportunity  presented  for  branching  out.  It 
happened  in  this  way: 

Brennan  &  Co.  had  an  interest  in  the  little  steamer 
Salinas,  98  tons,  and  in  several  small  sailing  vessels, 
together  with  a  number  of  landings,  warehouses,  etc.,  on 
the  coast  between  San  Francisco  and  Monterey. 

The  firm  became  embarrassed,  and  its  interests  in  these 
properties  were  sold  by  order  of  the  sheriff,  and  Goodall 
&  Nelson  became  the  owners  of  the  same,  their  bid  being 
the  highest. 

That  was  the  second  step  in  the  progress  of  the  firm, 
but  not  the  last  nor  the  best. 

The  Salinas  was  originally  147  tons,  but  was  cut  down 
to  98  tons  by  the  law  of  1882.  She  was  built  in  this  city 
in  1861,  and  was  continuously  in  service  for  25  years 
or  more. 

Her  earnings  for  that  period  were  more  than  five  times 
her  cost,  and  she  was  the  pioneer  of  a  large  and  fine  fleet 
of  steamers  that  subsequently  passed  to  the  control  of 
this  firm  and  its  successors  and  assigns. 

With  this  little  steamer  and  three  small  schooners, 
Goodall  &  Nelson  went  quietly  along  until  1868,  when  they 
built  the  propeller  Santa  Cruz,  295  tons,  at  a  cost  of  about 
$80,000.  This  was  followed  in  1869  by  the  construction  of 
the  steamer  Monterey  at  a  cost  of  $60,000. 

Up  to  that  time  comparatively  few  steamers  had  been 
built  here  for  ocean  service. 

In  1869,  the  steamers  Kalorama  and  Donald,  469  and 
136  tons,  arrived  here  from  New  York  under  sail.  Both 
had  been  used  as  Government  transports  in  the  Civil  War. 
The  Donald  was  one  of  the  steamers  built  for  General 
Ward  in  China,  but  he  died  before  it  was  delivered. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  123 

Both  steamers,  were  put  on  the  Southern  coast  route, 
but  were  sold  to  Goodall  &  Nelson  in  1871.  In  the  follow- 
ing year,  the  firm  purchased  the  steamer  Constantine. 

George  C.  Perkins  joined  the  firm  in  1872,  when  the  title 
was  changed  to  Goodall,  Nelson  &  Perkins.  In  1879,  Mr. 
Perkins  was  Governor  of  the  State  and  later  became  United 
States  Senator  from  California,  a  position  he  still  holds. 
He  is  the  Chairman  of  the  Naval  Committee. 

In  1874,  the  company  acquired  additional  steamers  from 
the  Pacific  Mail  Company  and  others.  As  a  result  of  these 
purchases,  John  Rosenfeld  was  taken  into  the  firm,  which 
was  then  incorporated  under  the  name  of  Goodall,  Nelson 
&  Perkins  Steamship  Company,  with  a  capital  of  $2,000,- 
000,  and  to  this  corporation  all  the  property  was  trans- 
ferred. 

At  that  time,  the  company's  fleet  consisted  of  the 
steamers  Salinas,  Santa  Cruz,  Monterey,  Kalorama,  Con- 
stantine, Donald,  Los  Angeles,  Fideliter,  Gipsy,  Senator, 
Pacific,  Mohongo,  Orizaba,  California  and  St.  Louis,  together 
with  the  schooners  Sea  Nymph,  Mary  Ellen  and  Onward. 

The  California  mentioned  in  the  above  list  was  the  first 
steamer  sent  to  the  Pacific  Coast  by  the  Pacific  Mail  Com- 
pany. 

The  purchase  of  the  above  steamers  gave  the  new  cor- 
poration a  swing  of  the  whole  coast  from  San  Diego  to 
Victoria,  B.  C. 

In  1876,  Captain  Nelson  retired,  and  Edwin  Goodall,  a 
younger  brother  of  Charles  Goodall,  Sr.,  took  his  place. 
At  the  same  time  the  corporate  name  was  changed  to 
Pacific  Coast  Steamship  Company. 

Goodall,  Perkins  &  Co.  continued  as  owners  of  the 
majority  of  the  stock  until  1882,  when  they  sold  their  inter- 
est to  the  Villard  combination,  continuing,  however,  to  act 
as  general  managers  of  the  company,  and  at  the  same  time 


124  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

securing  the  agency  of  the  Oregon  Railway  and  Navigatioji 
Company's  steamers. 

Several  other  changes  in  property  holdings  took  place 
between  1874  and  1883.  In  that  interval  three  other 
steamers  were  purchased,  three  others  were  sold  and  five 
were  lost  in  the  service. 

In  1883,  the  company  took  a  new  departure  in  the  con- 
struction of  a  better  class  of  steamers.  Iron  propellers 
had  become  popular,  and  an  order  was  given  to  Cramp  & 
Sons,  Philadelphia,  for  the  best  steamer  that  could  be  made. 

"When  this  vessel  was  still  on  the  stocks,  Russia  began 
to  anticipate  trouble  with  some  European  power,  and  the 
Minister  of  War,  in  looking  about  for  steamers,  concluded 
that  the  one  being  built  by  Cramp  &  Sons  for  the  Pacific 
Coast  Company  was  just  what  he  wanted,  and  he  purchased 
it  for  the  Russian  Government,  the  Pacific  Company  real- 
izing a  profit  of  about  $100,000  in  the  transaction. 

Later,  an  exact  duplicate  of  the  one  sold  to  the  Russian 
Government  was  built  by  Cramp  &  Sons  and  sent  to  the 
Pacific  Coast  for  the  Pacific  Coast  Steamship  Company. 

Two  more  iron  propellers  were  subsequently  built  for 
the  company.  One  of  these  was  the  Santa  Rosa,  built  by 
John  Roach  &  Sons  in  1884  at  a  cost  of  $600,000.  Other 
steamers  were  added  to  the  fleet  by  purchase,  in  order  to 
make  good  some  further  losses  and  others  that  had  been 
ordered  to  be  broken  up. 

In  September,  1887,  the  fleet  controlled  by  and  in  the 
service  of  the  company  consisted  of  eighteen  steamers. 
These  were  all  classed  as  propellers,  and  five  of  them  were 
constructed  of  iron.    All  but  three  were  owned  outright. 

The  iron  propellers  owned  by  the  company  were  the 
Queen  of  the  Pacific,  State  of  California  and  Santa  Rosa, 
all  first  class  and  registering  1,200  to  1,600  tons.  Those 
under  charter  were  the  iron  propellers  City  of  Chester  and 


^1 


^'-V  J 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  125 

George  W.  Elder  and  the  wooden  propellor  Mexico.  The 
little  steamer  Salinas  was  one  of  the  fleet,  and  was  doing 
good  service. 

Eleven  of  the  steamers  controlled  by  the  Pacific  Coast 
Steamship  Company  in  1887  were  of  comparatively  small 
carrying  capacity,  registering  from  100  to  800  tons,  all 
wooden  propellers.  There  were  also  two  other  wooden  pro- 
pellers in  the  list,  of  1,200  and  1,300  tons,  respectively.  All 
of  these  wooden  vessels  have  since  been  lost  or  otherwise 
disposed  of. 

One  of  the  iron  propellers  in  the  list  was  the  City  of 
Chester,  800  tons,  which  was  subsequently  lost  in  collision. 
The  other  one  was  the  George  W.  Elder,  1,200  tons,  which 
is  still  in  service,  as  are  also  the  other  three  iron  propellers 
in  the  list  of  1887,  except  the  Santa  Rosa,  together  with 
a  dozen  others. 

Despite  all  the  varied  opposition  steam  lines  that  have 
been  placed  in  the  domestic  Pacific  service  in  the  last 
quarter  of  a  century ,-the  Pacific  Coast  Steamship  Company, 
an  enterprise  based  on  the  little  steamer  Salinas  of  1861, 
has  maintained  its  position  by  keeping  up  a  high  standard 
of  service. 

The  route  it  covers  extends  from  British  Columbia  on 
the  north  to  Mexico  on  the  south.  It  also  has  one  or  more 
steamers  in  the  Alaskan  trade. 

The  steamer  Santa  Rosa  was  wrecked  on  the  Southern 
California  coast  a  few  months  ago. 

The  latest  additions  to  its  line  are  the  large  iron  pro- 
pellers Governor  and  President,  each  about  2,400  tons 
register. 

The  San  Francisco  and  Portland  Steamship  Company 
was  formed  in  1904,  taking  over  the  service  of  the  Oregon 
Railroad  and  Navigation  Company.  The  steamers  first  put 
in  operation  by  the  San  Francisco  and  Portland  Company 
were  the  Columbia  and  George  W.  Elder.     Later  the  St. 


126  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

Paul,  Senator,  and  State  of  California,  the  last  named  two 
by  charter  from  the  Pacific  Coast  Steamship  Company,  and 
the  Aztec,  City  of  Panama,  and  Costa  Rica  by  charter  from 
the  Pacific  Mail,  were  added  to  the  service. 

In  1909  the  company  bought  the  transport  Lawton,  con- 
verted her  into  an  oil-burner  and  changed  her  name  to  Rose 
City.  Later  the  Kansas  City  was  purchased  from  an  Eastern 
company. 

In  the  same  year  the  San  Francisco  and  Portland  Com- 
pany had  constructed  at  the  East  the  steamers  Bear  and 
Beaver,  each  357  feet  long,  with  a  gross  tonnage  of  4,500 
tons.    These  were  placed  in  service  last  year. 

The  last  named  two,  together  with  the  Rose  City,  are 
now  being  operated  between  Los  Angeles,  San  Francisco  and 
Portland,  and  are  among  the  best  equipped  vessels  in  the 
Pacific  coastwise  service. 

Not  to  be  outdone  by  these  evidences  of  enterprise,  the 
Pacific  Navigation  Company  last  year  brought  out  from 
the  East  the  turbine  steamers  Harvard  and  Yale,  both  of 
which  were  placed  upon  arrival  in  the  service  between  San 
Pedro  (the  port  of  Los  Angeles)  and  San  Francisco.  These 
are  considered  the  speediest  steamers  in  the  coast  trade, 
with  a  schedule  of  18  hours  between  the  two  points,  which 
has  since  been  maintained  with  clock-like  regularity,  while 
some  of  the  trips  have  been  made  in  17  and  even  in  16  hours. 

In  March,  1911,  the  Pacific  Navigation  Company 
extended  the  service  to  San  Diego,  under  a  schedule  of 
25  to  28  hours  up  and  down. 

In  1887,  there  were  54  steamers  of  32,400  tons  register 
in  the  Pacific  Coast  service,  of  which  13  had  a  registered 
tonnage  in  excess  of  1,000  tons,  the  extremes  of  these  large 
vessels  being  1,200  to  a  little  over  2,000  tons. 

The  largest  of  the  other  41  steamers  was  900  tons  and  the 
smallest  90  tons,  while  28  of  the  number  registered  less 
than  500  tons. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  127 

Even  as  early  as  1887,  steamers  were  crowding  sail  ves- 
sels from  the  Pacific  Coast  service. 

Most  of  the  smaller  steamers  were  schooner  rigged,  and 
built  for  the  freight  trade,  bringing  produce  of  all  kinds 
to  San  Francisco,  including  even  coal  and  lumber. 

An  illustration  of  the  eneoachments  of  steam  on  sail 
during  a  period  of  five  years  at  that  early  date  is  furnished 
by  a  comparison  of  the  arrivals  of  vessels  in  the  Pacific 
Coast  trade  in  April,  1881,  with  April,  1886.  In  the  former 
year  these  arrivals  were  268  of  81,430  tons,  and  in  the  latter 
year  227  of  81,000  tons.  In  1881,  the  steam  tonnage  was 
40  per  cent  of  the  total,  while  in  1886  it  was  50  per  cent. 
In  August,  1887,  of  the  295  arrivals  in  this  trade  132  were 
steamers. 

From  1849  to  1886,  both  years  inclusive,  a  period  of  38 
years,  there  were  79,814  arrivals  of  vessels  of  all  kinds  in 
the  Pacific  Coast  trade,  representing  18,350,510  itons  of 
tonnage. 

In  the  last  five  years  of  that  period  these  arrivals  aver- 
aged over  3,000  per  annum  and  the  tonnage  represented  by 
the  same  over  1,000,000  tons  per  annum. 

The  expansion  of  this  service  in  the  last  twenty  years 
of  the  interval  covered  was  something  remarkable. 

In  1866,  these  arrivals  were  1,654,  representing  320,800 
tons,  while  in  1886  there  were  3,252  arrivals,  representing 
1,000,400  tons. 

In  the  former  year,  railroads  had  not  penetrated  the 
interior  of  the  State  to  any  appreciable  extent,  and  most 
of  the  produce  of  the  interior  intended  for  tide  water  had 
to  be  transported  by  vessels,  while  in  the  latter  year,  there 
were  many  more  miles  of  railway  available  for  the  service, 
and  yet  despite  these  added  facilities  of  land  carriage,  the 
coast  vessels  steadily  increased  in  number  and  in  aggre- 
gate carrying  capacity. 


128  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

Steamers  in  Sugar  Trade. 

Sugar  transportation  between  the  Hawaiian  Islands  and 
San  Francisco  in  the  early  years  was  performed  exclusively 
by  sail  vessels. 

In  recent  years,  steamers  have  been  doing  that  work  to 
the  exclusion  of  nearly  all  sail  vessels. 

In  this  trade  of  late,  the  Matson  Navigation  Company 
has  taken  a  prominent  part.  It  has  in  its  fleet  three  of  the 
largest  steamers  in  that  trade.  These  are  the  Honolulu, 
Lurline  and  Wilhelmina ;  also  the  Hilonian  and  Enterprise. 

The  Oceanic  Steamship  Company's  steamer  Sierra  is 
also  in  the  same  trade. 

All  these  steamers  have  fine  cabin  accommodations  for 
passengers,  and  all  make  quick  trips. 

All  the  steamers  of  the  Pacific  Mail  Company  in  the 
China  trade  call  at  Honolulu. 

The  innovations  of  steam  in  the  direct  sugar  trade 
between  the  Hawaiian  Islands  and  domestic  Atlantic  ports 
has  been  equally  marked. 

For  some  years  prior  to  1895,  the  Hawaiian  planters 
sent  all  their  sugar  to  San  Francisco  for  distribution.  In 
time,  the  quantity  received  here  was  in  excess  of  the  wants 
of  the  State  and  adjacent  territory. 

Usually  this  excess  was  reshipped  to  the  other  side  of 
the  country  by  rail,  or  by  sail  via  Cape  Horn,  or  steamer 
via  the  Isthmus. 

Sugar  shipments  direct  from  the  islands  to  Eastern 
refineries  were  inaugurated  in  1895. 

This  movement  was  the  result  of  a  failure  to  obtain  a 
satisfactory  renewal  of  freight  rates  by  rail  from  San 
Francisco. 

This  initial  service  from  the  islands  to  New  York  direct 
by  the  all-water  route  was  in  1895,  when  seven  ships  were 
despatched  on  the  long  trip  with  21,661  tons  sugar. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  129 

By  a  singular  eoincidence,  the  quantity  so  diverted  was 
just  what  the  railroad  lost,  as  the  shipments  hence  by  rail 
that  year  were  67,054  tons,  against  88,886  tons  in  1904. 

In  1896,  fifteen  ships  were  engaged  for  the  same  island 
trade,  representing  38,000  tons  of  tonnage,  and  they  carried 
45,867  tons  sugar.  These  ships  were  chartered  for  the  ser- 
vice at  $5.50  per  ton  to  New  York  and  $5.75  to  Philadelphia. 

In  1897,  this  sugar  fleet  embraced  30  ships,  the  first  of 
which  left  on  December  24,  1896,  and  the  last  on  July  28, 
1897. 

The  charterers  of  the  fleet  for  that  year  had  the  option 
of  delivery  at  San  Francisco,  New  York,  Boston,  or  Phila- 
delphia. At  least  30  of  the  ships  chartered  under  that  ar- 
rangement in  that  year  proceeded  with  their  cargoes  to  do- 
mestic Atlantic  ports. 

These  ships  carried  1,465,938  bags  of  sugar,  equal  to 
181,043,343  pounds,  or  90,521  short  tons,  showing  an  aver- 
age of  3,000  tons  to  each  ship.  Rates  for  such  transporta- 
tion in  that  season  were  $5  to  $5.50  per  ton,  equal  to 
$475,000. 

All  these  30  ships  arrived  at  their  destination  prior  to 
December  1,  1897,  except  one.  This  was  the  ship  Commo- 
dore, which  was  wrecked  on  the  voyage,  the  first  and  only 
accident  of  the  kind  to  date. 

Four  of  these  ships  made  the  voyage  inside  of  100  days. 
The  best  trip  was  90  days,  by  the  Susquehanna.  The  S.  P. 
Hitchcock  and  W.  F.  Babcock  each  made  the  trip  in  92  days, 
and  the  Luzon  in  98  days.  The  Henry  Villard  covered  the 
distance  in  100  days,  and  five  others  in  103  days.  The 
longest  trip  was  made  in  144  days.  Four  others  made  it  in 
130  to  139  days,  while  all  the  others  went  under  the  128 
day  mark. 

In  1898,  the  fleet  from  the  islands  to  New  York  con- 
sisted of  13  ships,  which    took    38,186    tons    sugar.      The 


130  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

decreased  shipments  direct  that  year  was  due  to  a  greater 
diversion  overland  from  San  Francisco  incident  to  more 
favorable  terms. 

In  1899,  14  ships  took  43,767  tons  sugar  from  the 
islands  direct  to  New  York  and  Philadelphia.  Three  other 
ships  had  been  chartered  for  the  same  service.  One  of 
these  was  the  Edward  0  'Brien,  wrecked  off  Diamond  Point, 
while  making  for  Honolulu.  The  other  two  were  the  Aryan 
and  the  George  Curtis,  the  former  failing  to  make  the 
trip  because  of  needed  repairs,  and  the  latter  because  of 
sale  to  a  San  Francisco  firm. 

About  20  vessels  were  chartered  to  load  in  the  same 
service  in  1900,  but  several  of  these  charters  were  subse- 
quently cancelled,  while  four  of  the  ships  took  their  car- 
goes to  San  Francisco. 

The  number  loaded  for  New  York  in  1900  was  13  of 
25,500  tons  of  tonnage.  It  is  estimated  that  these  took 
40,000  tons  sugar  to  Eastern  refineries  in  that  year. 

During  the  first  six  years  that  this  exclusively  ship  ser- 
vice between  the  islands  and  Atlantic  ports  was  in  opera- 
tion, 92  ships  took  280,000  tons  sugar  direct  to  Eastern 
refineries. 

Apart  from  the  loss  of  one  cargo  by  the  wreck  of  the 
Commodore,  the  only  other  disaster  to  this  large  fleet  was 
some  damage  by  fire  on  the  iron  ship  Kenilworth,  which 
went  into  Valparaiso,  where  the  damaged  portion  of  the 
cargo  was  removed,  and  the  remainder  was  taken  to  des- 
tination. 

Prior  to  this  direct  movement  between  the  islands  and 
New  York,  and  in  consequence  of  an  over  supply  of  Hawai- 
ian sugar  in  San  Francisco,  a  considerable  shipment  of  this 
sugar  was  made  direct  from  this  port  to  New  York.  Eight 
ships  were  engaged  for  this  purpose,  carrying  21,676  tons, 
valued  at  over  $2,000,000.  Four  of  these  ships  went  in 
1887  and  four  m  1888. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  131 

In  1900,  upon  the  completion  of  the  first  four  steamers 
for  the  American-Hawaiian  Steamship  Company,  steamer 
service  was  introduced  in  the  direct  sugar  trade  of  the 
islands,  with  ports  on  the  Atlantic.  This  company  has  a 
large  fleet  of  steamers  in  that  trade. 

In  the  last  ten  years,  for  the  most  part,  Hawaiian 
planters  have  sent  sugar  designed  for  Eastern  refineries 
under  steam  rather  than  under  sail  as  formerly. 

Steamers  in  Coal  Trade. 

Prior  to  1871,  it  was  not  thought  feasible  to  employ 
steamers  in  the  transportation  of  coal  between  distant  points 
on  the  deep  water  routes,  at  least  on  this  side  of  the 
country. 

Despite  this  impression,  John  Rosenfeld,  a  prominent 
coal  dealer  in  San  Francisco  and  largely  interested  in  the 
British  Columbia  coal  mines,  concluded  he  would  try  the 
experiment. 

He  had  been  transporting  coal  from  British  Columbia  to 
San  Francisco  for  some  years  in  the  ship  Shooting  Star, 
which  arrived  here  from  New  York  in  1863. 

The  introduction  of  steam  in  the  coal  trade  might  have 
been  further  delayed  but  for  one  circumstance,  and  that 
was  the  ability  to  secure  a  good  iron  steamer  for  this  trade 
at  a  reasonable  rate.  This  was  a  tramp  steamer  sent  here 
for  a  market. 

Mr.  Rosenfeld  purchased  this  steamer  and  fitted  it  up 
for  the  coal  trade  between  Vancouver,  B.  C,  and  San  Fran- 
cisco. That  was  the  first  attempt  at  this  port  to  place  this 
character  of  freight  under  steam. 

This  must  have  been  a  successful  venture,  for  from  that 
day  to  the  present  the  bulk  of  the  British  Columbia  coal 
trade  has  been  under  steam,  and  from  a  single  steamer  of 
1,200  tons  registered  tonnage,  there  have  been  of  late  sev- 


132  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

eral  steamers  of  much  larger  capacity  regularly  employed 
in  that  trade,  some  of  them  with  cargoes  of  over  6,000 
tons. 

In  fact,  there  has  not  been  for  some  years  hardly  any 
coal  transported  from  the  mines  on  this  coast  in  any  other 
vessels  than  steamers. 

In  the  meantime,  this  feature  in  the  coal  carrying  trade 
has  been  extended  to  much  longer  and  less  feasible  routes, 
until  now  every  part  of  the  world  has  been  covered. 

The  main  supply  of  foreign  coal  at  this  port  has  come 
from  Australia,  and  of  late  years,  many  steamers  have 
arrived  here  from  the  Colonies  with  such  cargoes. 

In  a  similar  way,  cargoes  of  coal  have  been  received 
here  from  Japan,  Eastern  Atlantic  ports  and  Europe. 

The  Government  has  been  using  steamers  for  several 
years  in  transporting  coal  from  Virginia  to  the  Pacific  fleet 
in  these  waters. 

Steamers  in  Lumber  Trade. 

The  use  of  steamers  in  the  Pacific  Coast  lumber  trade 
began  in  the  seventies.  The  first  attempts  were  noticed  in 
the  construction  of  small  wooden  schooners  with  steam  as 
an  auxiliary  power. 

It  did  not  take  long,  nor  the  building  of  many  steam 
schooners,  to  prove  that  such  means  for  transporting  lumber 
from  one  point  to  another  along  the  coast  could  be  under- 
taken and  carried  on  with  a  fair  degree  of  profit. 

At  least  twenty  of  such  schooners  were  in  the  coast 
lumber  trade  in  1887,  according  to  a  compilation  made  by 
the  writer  in  that  year.  Most  of  these  ranged  from  100 
to  200  tons  register,  while  all  were  under  300  tons. 

The  building  and  use  of  these  schooner  rigged  steamers 
for  the  Pacific  Coast  trade  did  not  cease  with  the  con- 
struction of  the  first  twenty,  nor  was  the  use  of  such  vessels 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  133 

confined  entirely  to  the  lumber  trade.  They  became  avail- 
able for  all  sorts  of  trade,  and  the  number  steadily  increased 
for  many  years  afterwards. 

The  success  attending  lumber  transportation  under 
steam  on  these  short  voyages  gradually  led  to  the  adoption 
of  the  same  means  in  the  same  trade  on  the  long  routes, 
and  of  course  to  the  use  of  larger  vessels. 

A  registry  of  the  vessels  owned  on  this  coast  on  January 
1,  1911,  shows  a  list  of  160  steamers  adapted  to  the  lumber 
carrying  trade,  and  which  were  in  service  at  that  time  or 
had  previously  been  so  employed. 

The  rated  lumber  carrying  capacity  of  these  steamers 
ranged  from  100,000  feet  to  3,700,000  feet. 

It  is  true  that  most  of  the  lumber  steamers  in  the  foreign 
trade  have  been  loaded  at  Puget  Sound  and  Oregon  ports, 
and  most  of  these  have  been  under  foreign  flags. 

The  service  has  afforded  special  attractions  to  what  are 
known  in  maritime   circles  as  tramp   steamers. 

In  the  last  four- months  of  1910,  the  lumber  clearings 
from  the  coast  in  the  deep  water  trade  were  156,  of  which 
53,  or  one-third,  were  steamers,  including  36  under  the 
British  flag,  11  under  Norwegian  flag,  and  6  under  the  Ger- 
man, Japanese,   Austrian   and  American   flags. 

Steamers  in  Wheat  Trade. 

Forty  years  ago  it  was  deemed  impracticable  to  use 
steamers  in  the  grain  carrying  trade  on  the  long  routes, 
and  yet  charges  for  such  service  were  much  higher  then  than 
they  were  some  years  later  when  steamers  began  to  bo 
so  used. 

It  was  in  1873  that  San  Francisco  loaded  its  first  steamer 
with  wheat  for  Europe,  and  this  was  not  exactly  under 
normal  conditions. 

The  vessel  upon  which  this  honor  was  conferred  was 


134  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

the  British  steamer  Quang  Se,  This  steamer  had  been  in 
the  tea  trade  between  China  and  this  port  under  time 
charter  that  expired  upon  her  last  arrival  here. 

It  was  necessary  to  return  her  to  her  home  port  in 
Great  Britain.  She  was  offered  a  wheat  cargo  and  accepted 
the  same.  This  cargo  included  4,779  bbls.  flour,  26,760  ctls. 
wheat  and  other  freight,  valued  at  $161,900.  She  sailed 
hence  for  Europe  on  November  15,  1873. 

Of  course  this  was  an  unusual  event,  and  outward 
freights  that  year  were  very  high.  The  experiment  was  not 
duplicated  for  many  years. 

Two  events  combined  in  1881  to  suggest  grain  shipments 
by  steamer.  One  was  the  large  wheat  crop  of  1880,  and  the 
inadequacy  of  sail  tonnage  to  transport  the  same  to  a 
foreign  market,  and  the  other"  was  the  necessity  of  import- 
ing iron  rails  by  steamers  from  Europe  to  meet  the  urgent 
demands  of  the  Southern  Pacific. 

A  concession  on  the  rates  for  bringing  the  iron  to  San 
Francisco  was  obtained  by  a  promise  of  a  good  rate  on 
the  wheat  cargoes  to  be  carried  back  to  Europe  by  the 
steamers. 

In  the  last  five  weeks  of  1881  four  of  these  steamers 
were  loaded  with  wheat  and  cleared  for  Europe,  together 
with  four  more  in  1882,  and  one  in  each  of  the  four  follow- 
ing years. 

These  twelve  steamers  in  those  six  years  took  25,764 
bbls.  fiour,  655,700  ctls.  wheat  and  31,417  ctls.  barley. 

One  of  these  steamers  was  the  Escambia,  which  came 
here  by  way  of  British  Columbia.  This  steamer  capsized 
on  the  bar  in  going  out,  and  disappeared  immediately. 
Three  boats  were  launched,  and  most  of  the  crew  were  taken 
off,  but  only  four  persons  were  saved.  A  combination  of 
unfavorable  conditions  caused  the  wreck. 

Another   steamer  in   that   fleet  was   the   cable   steamer 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  135 

Silvertown.  This  steamer  had  recently  completed  the  lay- 
ing of  a  cable  for  account  of  South  America,  and  was 
ordered  back  to  Europe  by  way  of  San  Francisco.  This 
was  the  largest  steamer  to  enter  this  port  up  to  that  time. 

The  Silvertown  was  chartered  for  wheat  for  Europe 
by  John  Rosenfeld,  and  the  loading  attracted  crowds  to 
the  wharf.  She  carried  107,100  ctls.  wheat,  the  largest 
cargo  of  the  kind  cleared  up  to  that  time. 

In  1889,  the  charter  of  the  little  steamer  Southern  Cali- 
fornia, employed  in  the  British  Columbia  coal  trade,  expired, 
and  she  was  ordered  back  to  Europe,  taking  as  cargo  23,000 
ctls.  wheat. 

In  1891,  two  more  steamers  followed,  one  with  91,188 
ctls.  wheat  and  the  other  with  69,550  ctls.  barley.  In  the 
same  year,  eight  small  steamers  were  loaded  here  with 
breadstuffs  for  South  America,  on  account  of  the  partial 
failure  of  crops  there. 

The  steamer  for  Europe  with  barley  in  1891  was  the  first 
ever  so  loaded  for  Europe  at  this  port. 

In  February,  1893,  a  steamer  left  here  for  Europe  with 
97,600  ctls.  wheat. 

The  eighteen  steamers  that  cleared  hence  for  Europe 
between  November,  1873,  and  February,  1893,  took  31,133 
bbls.  flour  and  1,017,885  ctls.  grain. 

The  collapse  of  a  wheat  deal  in  1895,  and  the  purchase 
of  a  carry  over  stock  of  175,000  tons  wheat  in  May  of  that 
year,  led  to  a  renewal  of  exports  by  steamers.  One  steamer 
in  that  year  loaded  111,300  ctls.  barley  and  another  22,000 
ctls.  wheat. 

A  still  more  important  movement  of  grain  by  steamers 
took  place  in  the  last  half  of  1896,  when  twenty-five 
steamers  were  thus  loaded  and  cleared. 

This  fleet  took  1,294,398  ctls.  wheat,  1,090,789  ctls.  bar- 
ley and  57,155  ctls.  rye,  or  a  grand  total  of  2,442,342  ctls. 


136  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

grain,  equal  to  122,117  short  tons,  on  which  the  freight  earn- 
ings were  $724,748. 

Four  of  these  steamers  took  straight  cargoes  of  barley, 
five  barley  and  wheat,  two  barley  and  rye,  two  barley  and 
miscellaneous  cargo,  and  twelve  straight  cargoes  of  wheat. 

Three  of  the  steamers  were  chartered  at  30s,  six  at  28s  9d, 
nine  at  27s  6d,  three  at  26s  3d,  three  at  25s,  and  one  at  22s  6d. 

All  these  steamers  came  here  in  ballast  from  China, 
Japan  and  East  Indies,  though  one  had  first  landed  a  tea 
cargo  at  Tacoma. 

All  were  iron  vessels,  nearly  all  British,  and  nearly  all 
were  chartered  prior  to  arrival.  Another  lost  a  charter  by 
not  being  ready  to  take  cargo,  and  another  failed  to  load 
that  year  by  not  reaching  port  in  time. 

Seven  were  cleared  for  St.  Vincent  for  orders  for  any 
portion  of  the  United  Kingdom  or  the  Continent,  five  direct 
to  Antwerp,  two  to  London,  and  one,  respectively,  to  Leith, 
Hall  and  Bristol,  four  to  Calcutta,  and  one,  respectively,  to 
Bombay,  Coronel,  Sydney  and  Algoa  Bay. 

This  was  decidedly  the  largest  and  most  important  grain 
fleet  under  steam  to  leave  this  port  up  to  that  time. 

The  first  of  the  fleet  to  leave  was  the  British  steamer 
Linlithgowshire,  on  July  31,  1896.  When  twelve  days  out 
her  machinery  broke  down  beyond  repair,  and  after  drifting 
about  in  mid-ocean  for  several  weeks,  she  was  abandoned 
about  300  miles  off  the  coast  of  Central  America,  the  offi- 
cers and  crew  making  shore  in  small  boats. 

The  first  of  the  next  fleet  of  steamers  with  grain  from 
this  port  was  the  Siam,  on  December  12,  1900.  This  steamer 
had  been  under  a  time  charter  in  the  British  Columbia  coal 
trade,  and  as  this  had  expired  she  was  ordered  home,  taking 
with  her  a  cargo  of  87,300  ctls.  wheat. 

Six  other  steamers  followed  her  in  the  first  four  months 
of  1901.     These  seven  steamers  took  770,668   ctls.   wheat, 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  137 

five  clearing  for.  St.  Vincent  for  orders,  one  for  Barcelona, 
and  one  for  Valparaiso. 

Since  1901,  comparatively  few  steamers  have  been  loaded 
with  wheat  at  this  port.  Low  rates  for  ships  for  that  service 
and  the  large  decrease  in  the  wheat  crops  of  the  State  have 
practically  eliminated  steamers  from  that  trade. 

In  the  meantime,  however,  there  have  been  some  large 
shipments  of  barley  from  this  port  by  steamer. 

In  the  last  six  months  of  1910,  fourteen  steamers  hence 
for  Europe  either  took  whole  or  partial  cargoes  of  barley, 
including  three  in  the  regular  German  line.  Six  of  these 
steamers  took  over  100,000  ctls.  each,  including  one  with 
150,000.  Another  with  an  equally  large  cargo  was  wrecked 
while  passing  out. 

Steamers  in  California  Oil  Trade. 

The  large  increase  in  the  production  of  earth  oil  in  Cali- 
fornia in  the  last  decade  has  developed  an  entirely  new 
demand  for  steamer  tonnage  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  both  in 
the  domestic  and  foreign  trade. 

Attempts  at  first  were  made  to  handle  the  water  trade 
by  sail  vessels,  and  several  fine  steel  ships  were  built 
expressly  for  that  purpose  and  sent  here  from  the  Atlantic 
coast.  These  did  the  work  fairly  well  for  a  short  time, 
but  most  of  them  have  since  been  eliminated. 

Now  the  three  most  important  corporations  operating 
in  the  California  oil  fields  and  in  the  export  trade  have 
their  own  steamers,  either  by  construction,  purchase  or 
charter.  The  Associated  Oil  Company  has  just  added  the 
large  steamer  W.  F.  Herrin,  and  the  Union  Oil  Company 
the  Oleum. 

These  corporations  are  the  Associated  Oil,  Standard  Oil 
and  Union  Oil. 

Shipments  of  fuel  oil  were  first  made  to  the  Hawaiian 


138  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

Islands  under  sail.  The  second  vessel  in  that  trade  was  the 
Fullerton,  with  598,000  gallons  on  October  4,  1902.  The 
Marion  Chileott  followed  in  November  with  17,000  bbls. 

While  these  movements  were  in  progress,  the  Union 
Iron  Works  was  executing  an  order  for  an  iron  steamer  for 
this  service.  The  Whittier,  the  name  of  the  new  steamer, 
left  here  for  Honolulu  on  April  29,  1903,  with  420,000 
gallons  of  oil,  and  on  the  1st  of  June  took  down  her  second 
cargo. 

A  week  later  she  was  followed  by  the  steamer  Argyll, 
with  30,000  bbls.  Later  other  steamers  were  added  to  the 
service  on  the  same  route,  including  the  Monterey  and 
Rosecrans. 

The  first  cargo  of  refined  oil  sent  hence  to  China  by 
steamer  left  this  port  September  10,  1904,  by  the  British 
steamer  Housatonic. 

The  steamer  Senator  was  sent  to  Victoria  on  February 
18,  1905,  with  25,000  bbls.  fuel  oil.  She  was  foUowed  by 
the  Whittier  on  April  6th  with  10,000  bbls.  This  was  the 
beginning  of  the  oil  trade  with  British  Columbia. 

On  October  16,  1905,  the  British  steamer  Azov  left  here 
with  20,000  bbls.  oil  for  Caleta  Buena,  the  first  cargo  to 
South  America. 

On  May  31,  1906,  the  steamer  Seminole  left  for  Calcutta 
with  2,200,000  gals,  refined  oil,  the  first  sent  hence  to  India. 

On  September  15,  1906,  the  first  cargo  of  refined  oil  was 
sent  to  Mororan  by  the  steamer  Housatonic,  which  took 
1,400,000  gals.  This  opened  the  trade  with  Japan,  which 
has  been  as  important  as  that  with  China. 

The  Standard  Oil  Company  was  behind  all  these  move- 
ments with  China,  India  and  Japan.  It  had  previously  been 
serving  these  countries  from  the  Atlantic  side,  but  had 
found  it  more  advantageous  to  transfer  the  business  to  Cali- 
fornia. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  139 

The  first  full-  cargo  of  case  oil  sent  to  Japan  from  San 
Francisco  left  on  November  13,  1906,  by  the  big  steel  ship 
Astral,  which  took  133,200  cases. 

The  Philippine  Islands  was  the  next  division  of  the 
world  to  share  in  the  benefits  of  California  oil.  The  steamer 
Inteopolis  left  here  for  Manila  on  December  3,  1906,  with 
119,518  cases  oil. 

About  the  same  time,  the  Union  Oil  Company,  whose 
works  are  in  the  southern  part  of  the  State,  with  general 
offices  in  San  Francisco,  began  exporting  oil  to  distant 
markets,  by  sending  a  cargo  of  25,000  bbls.  by  the  steamer 
Argyll  to  Aneon.  This  cargo  has  since  been  followed  by 
others,  as  there  has  been  a  good  demand  for  oil  in  the 
construction  of  the  Panama  Canal. 

The  Union  Oil  Company  has  provided  for  a  further  exten- 
sion of  trade  in  that  direction  by  putting  down  a  pipe  line 
across  the  Isthmus  along  the  route  of  the  canal.  It  has 
tanks  for  the  storage  of  oil  at  either  end  of  this  pipe  line, 
and  will  therefore  be  in  condition  to  supply  oil  burning 
steamers  passing  through  the  canal,  with  needed  fuel.  This 
pipe  line  on  the  Isthmus  will  also  make  it  possible  to  supply 
Eastern  Atlantic  markets  with  Pacific  oil  should  there  ever 
be  an  occasion  for  such  service. 

Thus  far  the  oil  shipments  from  this  coast  to  Ancon  have 
all  been  absorbed  on  the  Isthmus,  and  that  is  likely  to  be  a 
good  market  for  years. 

The  steamer  Santa  Rita,  with  1,800,000  gals,  crude  oil, 
was  sent  to  San  Jose  de  Guatemala  in  March,  1907,  thus 
opening  up  a  new  market  for  the  article.  This  cargo  has 
been  followed  by  others. 

In  December,  1907,  a  new  foreign  field  was  entered  in 
the  clearance  for  Hongkong  of  the  British  steamer  Housa- 
tonic  with  1,230,000  gals.  oil.  The  Dakotah  followed  in  the 
same  month  with  1,600,000  gals. 


140  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

In  March,  1908,  the  Alaskan  market  was  entered,  the 
steamer  W.  S.  Porter  taking  a  cargo  of  53,000  bbls.  oil  to 
Juneau,  A.  T. 

Though  California  oil  cargoes  had  been  sent  to  Chile 
as  early  as  October,  1905,  the  first  cargo  to  Peru  did  not 
leave  here  until  September  4,  1909,  when  the  British  steamer 
El  Lobo  took  down  1,516,000  gals,  fuel  oil. 

In  this  connection  is  a  coincidence  worthy  of  mention. 
This  same  steamer  El  Lobo  arrived  at  San  Francisco  on 
February  24,  1911,  with  30,000  bbls.  crude  oil  from  Peru, 
and  went  back  with  a  similar  cargo. 

Oregon  has  been  drawing  supplies  of  earth  oil  from 
California  for  several  years. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  about  every  section  bordering 
on  the  Pacific  Ocean  has  been  reached  and  measurably  cov- 
ered by  those  engaged  in  the  oil  industry  of  California. 

The  only  omitted  sections  are  Mexico,  Australia,  and 
some  of  the  Pacific  islands.  It  is  not  known  that  any  serious 
attempt  has  been  made  to  enter  these  markets. 

There  has  been  no  abandonment  of  any  one  of  the  coun- 
tries where  a  foothold  has  been  made.  On  the  contrary, 
instead  of  confining  the  shipments  to  the  first  port  visited 
on  an  errand  of  this  kind,  the  service  has  been  extended  to 
several  other  ports  in  the  same  country. 

While  of  late  the  shipments  to  some  of  these  ports  have 
not  been  as  large  as  in  some  previous  years,  the  export  trade 
in  California  earth  oil  in  the  aggregate  has  been  steadily 
increasing,  and  there  is  good  reason  to  believe  that  it  will 
continue  to  expand. 

This  is  an  entirely  new  field  for  steamers  on  this  side  of 
the  world,  and  a  dozen  or  more  have  been  employed  and 
are  still  covering  the  various  routes. 

During  the  first  eight  months  of  1911,  the  oil  shipments 
by  water  from  California  were  in  excess  of  any  previous 


1 


■^-•■■■^MP 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  141 

twelve  months.  In  the  same  interval,  about  thirty  different 
steamers  have  been  employed  in  this  trade,  and  many  of 
them  regularly.  These  steamers  are  fitted  with  tanks  for 
carrying  oil  in  bulk.  The  oil  is  pumped  both  in  and  out, 
thus  giving  quick  despatch  in  loading  and  unloading.  Two 
large  new  steamers  were  recently  added  to  the  California 
oil  fleet. 

Several  pipe  lines  bring  the  oil  directly  from  the  wells 
to  tide  water.  Large  refining  plants  have  been  erected, 
and  the  industry  is  already  one  of  great  and  growing  impor- 
tance. 

The  Standard  Oil  Company  opened  its  first  agency  in 
San  Francisco  for  the  sale  of  its  products  in  1878,  the  office 
force  at  that  time  consisting  of  a  manager,  clerk,  and  office 
boy.  The  company  is  now  erecting  a  large  steel  building 
in  the  heart  of  the  city  for  general  offi;ce  purposes  and  to 
house  its  400  employes.  Today,  in  addition  to  its  large 
export  trade  by  water  to  distant  markets,  it  is  doing  a  large 
business  with  all  the  Pacific  States  and  has  on  its  pay  rolls 
on  the  coast  4,800  employes. 

The  opening  of  the  oil  industry  in  California  has  been 
of  great  benefit  from  every  standpoint. 

Steamers  in  General  Trade. 

Within  the  past  two  years,  the  use  of  steamers  has  been 
still  further  extended  between  distant  ports  and  San  Fran- 
cisco in  the  transportation  of  general  merchandise  back 
and  forth. 

Leading  San  Francisco  importers  have  been  transferring 
their  trade  from  ships  to  steamers  to  an  extent  that  has 
become  noticeable.  It  is  believed  that  this  movement  may 
become  still  more  general. 

The  innovation  appears  to  have  been  made  by  Balfour, 
Guthrie  &  Co.,  and  to  have  been  followed  by  Henry  Lund, 
Parrott  &  Co.,  and  others. 


142  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

Several  of  these  steamers  were  on  their  way  to  this  port 
from  Europe  in  January,  1911. 

Some  of  those  that  arrived  in  1910  were  loaded  back 
with  canned  fruit,  vegetables  and  salmon,  as  well  as  grain. 

So  far,  these  arrangements  have  been  satisfactory  to  all 
parties  concerned.  Importers  on  both  sides  of  the  world 
are  receiving  their  consignments  much  more  promptly,  and 
time  is  an  important  consideration  in  business  affairs. 

Steamers  in  Whale  Trade. 

When  it  was  proposed  to  hunt  whales  with  steamers,  the 
scheme  was  regarded  as  little  less  than  foolish,  on  the 
ground  that  steamers  would  frighten  the  whales,  and  so 
make  their  capture  more  difficult. 

Despite  these  pessimistic  views,  the  enterprise  was  under- 
taken. New  Bedford  furnished  one  steamer  for  the  service 
and  San  Francisco  supplied  six. 

This  new  departure  in  the  whaling  business  began  many 
years  ago.  Since  then  the  number  of  steamers  engaged  has 
been  considerably  increased,  but  San  Francisco  has  always 
been  in  the  lead  in  furnishing  steamers. 

Instead  of  half  a  dozen  steamers,  the  number  employed 
in  some  of  the  subsequent  years  has  been  as  high  as  16. 

The  use  of  steamers  in  this  industry  has  been  a  success 
from  the  start,  and  the  wonder  is  that  they  were  not  intro- 
duced many  years  earlier,  before  the  hunt  for  whales  became 
less  interesting  and  less  profitable. 

San  Francisco  is  justly  credited  with  inaugurating  the 
movement. 

Sixty  years  ago,  when  cruising  for  whales  in  the  Arctic 
was  a  prominent  industry,  and  when  it  meant  much  for 
those  engaged  in  it,  the  trade  was  controlled  by  parties 
in  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  and  a  cruise  for  whales  meant  an 
absence  from  that  port  of  about  three  years. 

Then  the  major  part  of  the  fleet  made  the  Hawaiian 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  143 

Islands  their  winter  quarters.  In  some  winters  over  one 
hundred  whalers  pulled  up  there. 

The  catch  of  several  vessels  was  consolidated  and  put 
aboard  such  vessels  as  had  been  ordered  back  to  New  Bed- 
ford. The  remainder  of  the  fleet  was  fitted  out  at  the  islands 
and  took  an  early  start  in  the  spring  for  the  Arctic  or  the 
South  Seas. 

Occasionally  some  of  these  vessels  would  come  into  this 
port  for  a  supply  of  fresh  water,  which  they  obtained  from 
Sausalito.  Such  visits  were  made  long  before  the  gold  dis- 
coveries were  known.  These  vessels  were  probably  the  first 
of  the  American  type  to  sail  through  the  Golden  Gate. 

These  exceptional  visits  were  made  long  after  the  port 
became  better  known  and  before  there  was  any  idea  of 
giving  up  winter  quarters  at  the  islands. 

Three  events  have  contributed  materially  to  the  decad- 
ence of  the  whaling  industry.  The  first  of  these  was  the 
discovery  of  earth  oil  in  large  quantity  in  the  Atlantic 
States  in  1856. 

The  second  event  was  the  almost  total  destruction  of 
the  Arctic  fleet  by  the  rebel  steamers  Alabama  and  Shen- 
andoah, fitted  out  at  British  ports. 

The  third  was  an  almost  total  loss  in  a  subsequent  year 
of  the  Arctic  fleet  by  being  caught  in  ice  floes  and  crushed. 

The  owners  of  these  vessels  never  received  any  remuner- 
ation directly  or  indirectly  for  the  damage  inflicted  by  the 
first  of  those  events.  The  country  at  large,  however,  has 
been  materially  benefited  by  the  discovery  of  earth  oil. 
That  was  a  providential  event,  that  happened  just  at  the 
right  time. 

Some  years  after  the  fleet  had  been  burned  by  rebel 
cruisers  from  English  ports,  England  settled  claims  growing 
out  of  that  high-handed  outrage  on  innocent  victims,  by  an 
award  of  $15,000,000. 


144  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

Some  compensation  was  obtained  from  underwriters  for 
vessels  destroyed  by  the  ice  jam. 

The  third  and  last  event  was  hardly  needed  to  destroy 
the  old-time  enthusiasm  in  this  industry.  That  enthusiasm 
was  already  on  its  ebb  tide. 

As  early  as  1860,  San  Francisco  began  to  attract  whalers 
to  come  here  to  winter  and  obtain  outfits  for  a  new  cruise. 

In  that  year,  14  whalers  of  3,300  tons  arrived  here  for 
that  purpose.  In  the  following  three  years,  these  arrivals 
numbered  15,  9  and  14,  respectively. 

A  noted  increase  in  these  arrivals  took  place  in  1864, 
when  the  number  was  34  of  11,000  tons  register,  the  largest 
fleet  that  had  reported  here  up  to  that  time.  That  was 
the  last  year  of  the  Civil  War,  and  the  owners  of  the  vessels 
were  anxious  to  get  them  under  American  protection. 

The  arrivals  in  the  following  year  were  32.  This  was  in 
1865.  The  fleet  in  the  Arctic  numbered  about  100  vessels, 
of  which  90  were  under  the  American  flag.  Of  this  number, 
28  were  destroyed,  26  of  them  being  burned  and  the  other 
2  by  other  casualties.  Of  the  remainder,  20  arrived  at  San 
Francisco  in  the  last  half  of  that  year,  and  48  went  into 
Honolulu. 

The  26  that  arrived  here  between  August  25th  and 
November  11,  1866,  brought  15,983  bbls.  oil  and  220,600 
lbs.  bone,  while  those  arriving  in  1865  had  11,320  bbls.  oil 
and  114,000  lbs.  bone. 

Eight  of  this  fleet  were  owned  and  fitted  out  at  this  port. 

There  was  a  notable  decrease  in  the  Arctic  whaling  fleet 
in  the  next  three  years.  In  1869,  only  two  small  whalers 
reported  at  San  Francisco,  but  in  the  very  next  year  there 
were  14,  and  two  years  later  there  were  28. 

In  the  next  four  years,  the  decimating  process  was 
again  in  force,  with  the  result  that  only  7  whalers  reported 
in  San  Francisco  in  1876. 

Immediately  following  that  year,  interest  was  renewed. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  145 

Headquarters  for  wintering  had  been  changed  from  Hono- 
lulu to  San  Francisco.    Parties  here  became  interested. 

The  result  was  the  formation  of  the  Pacific  Steam  Whal- 
ing Company,  the  infusion  of  new  capital,  the  building  of 
steamers  for  the  service,  the  creation  of  the  corporation 
known  as  the  Arctic  Oil  Works  for  the  refining  of  the  oil, 
and  later  a  factory  for  preparing  the  bone  in  commercial 
form  ready  for  use. 

Under  this  stimulus,  there  were  from  20  to  22  arrivals 
in  each  of  the  following  four  years. 

Starting  with  26  arrivals  in  1881,  the  number  was  stead- 
ily increased,  with  few  exceptions,  until  it  reached  50,  in 
1893. 

That  was  the  largest  number  of  whalers  that  ever 
reported  at  San  Francisco  in  a  single  season. 

For  some  years  previous  there  had  been  little  induce- 
ment to  secure  large  quantities  of  oil,  owing  to  the  low 
prices  offering.     . 

From  2,800  bbls.  oil  brought  by  the  fleet  to  this  market 
in  1876,  the  quantity  had  increased,  irregularly  of  course, 
until  1887,  when  it  reached  32,884  bbls.,  which  was  the 
joint  catch  of  the  41  vessels  that  arrived  that  year. 

Though  42  vessels  arrived  in  the  year  following,  the 
combined  oil  cargoes  amounted  to  only  16,000  bbls. 

In  the  next  four  years  the  annual  average  was  a  little 
under  13,000  bbls. 

Only  once  since  1892  has  the  total  exceeded  9,000  bbls. 
That  was  in  1902,  when  16  whalers  sent  down  10,976  bbls. 
This  total  includes  consignments  received  by  trading  vessels. 

For  the  past  eighteen  years,  the  total  deliveries  of  oil 
from  the  Arctic  fleet  have  been  only  89,000,  or  less  than  an 
average  of  5,000  bbls.  per  annum. 

During  the  greater  part  of  this  long  interval,  the  prin- 
cipal interest  attending  the  hunt  for  whales  has  been  for 


146  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

the  bone,  which  for  the  most  of  the  time  has  brought  good 
prices,  reaching  in  some  years  over  $5  per  lb. 

From  8,800  lbs.  bone  brought  by  the  7  vessels  at  San 
Francisco,  in  1876,  the  quantity  increased  to  603,400  lbs. 
in  1887,  the  year  when  the  oil  deliveries  were  also  the 
heaviest. 

The  largest  quantity  since  received  was  416,650  lbs.  in 
1902. 

In  only  two  years  since  1900  has  the  quantity  delivered 
here  exceeded  100,000  lbs.,  while  the  average  has  been  about 
62,000  lbs.  per  annum. 

Another  new  feature  introduced  in  this  industry  by 
Californians  was  the  practice  of  having  some  of  the  fleet 
winter  in  the  Arctic.  This  custom  has  been  followed  to  a 
greater  or  less  extent  since  1890.  In  1894,  thirteen  of  the 
fleet  wintered  there,  and  in  the  following  year,  fifteen,  of 
which  twelve  were  steamers;  making  sixteen  steamers  in  the 
fleet  that  year. 

Tonnage  in  the  Cod  Fisheries. 

Prior  to  1865,  all  the  codfish  consumed  on  this  coast  was 
taken  from  Atlantic  waters.  Of  course  these  deliveries 
up  to  that  time  were  entirely  by  the  water  route,  either  by 
steamers  via  the  Isthmus  or  by  sailing  vessels  via  Cape 
Horn. 

Consignments  by  steamer  generally  came  through  in 
good  order,  despite  the  hot  weather  encountered  on  a  por- 
tion of  the  voyage.  Some  of  the  consignments  by  sailing 
vessels  were  also  delivered  in  good  order.  Others  attained 
a  high  rank  for  undesirableness  before  they  reached  con- 
sumers. 

Up  to  that  time  no  effort  had  been  made  to  find  out 
whether  there  were  any  codfish  in  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

That  discovery,  like  many  others  before  and  since,  was 
left  to  chance. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  147 

The  old  Eastern  built  brig  Timandra  had  been  sent  from 
San  Francisco  to  the  Amoor  river  with  an  assorted  cargo. 
On  her  way  back,  in  baUast,  she  was  becalmed  off  the  Island 
of  Saghalien.  While  waiting  for  a  breeze,  the  crew  threw 
lines  from  the  deck  and  were  surprised  to  haul  in  quite  a 
lot  of  codfish. 

Freeman,  Smith  &  Co.  of  this  city  were  in  the  Amoor 
river  trade  at  that  time. 

The  bringing  of  this  little  consignment  of  fresh  codfish 
to  San  Francisco  created  much  interest  in  what  has  since 
proved  to  be  an  important  industry. 

The  brig  Timandra  and  other  small  craft  were  sent  to 
these  new-found  fishing  grounds  in  1865,  and  seven  cargoes 
of  Alaska  codfish  came  to  hand  in  1865,  aggregating  469,- 
400  fish,  equal  to  587  tons  dried  fish. 

In  the  very  next  year,  18  small  vessels  were  fitted  out  for 
a  codfishing  cruise  to  the  north.  Most  of  these  went  as  far 
north  as  the  Ochotsk  Sea. 

One  of  the  fleet  went  out  under  orders  to  take  her  cargo 
to  Australia.  Another  returned  in  ballast.  A  third  one 
never  came  back. 

The  fifteen  cargoes  received  that  year  contained  724,000 
fish,  equal  to  902  tons  dried. 

Since  then  these  fishing  grounds  off  the  coast  of  Alaska 
and  in  the  Bering  and  Ochotsk  Seas  have  been  annually 
visited  by  a  fleet  of  small  vessels  varying  in  number  from 
about  a  half  dozen  to  upwards  of  a  score,  or  that  number  in 
the  equivalent  of  arrivals. 

By  the  establishment  of  fishing  stations  on  Choumagin 
Island  and  Sand  Point,  the  fishing  seasons  have  been  greatly 
extended.  In  this  way,  cargoes  have  been  made  up  in 
advance  for  the  schooners  and  vessels  of  still  larger  class 
sent  up  from  San  Francisco  to  bring  them  down. 

In  1869,  the  number  of  fish  returned  was  in  excess  of 


148  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

1,000,000,  and  in  the  following  year  the  total  was  1,265,500. 

In  the  following  seven  years,  the  catch  brought  to  San 
Francisco  was  much  smaller,  the  smallest  total  for  that 
interval  being  381,000. 

Since  1887,  the  number  of  fish  brought  to  San  Francisco 
has  almost  invariably  exceeded  1,000,000,  and  in  1883  it 
was  1,750,000. 

T.  W.  McCoUam  was  the  first  man  to  take  up  this  new 
line  of  business.  Later  he  was  followed  by  Mr.  Lynde,  of 
Lynde  &  Hough,  and  then  by  Nicholas  Bichard.  These  gen- 
tlemen retained  their  interests  until  called  by  death. 

The  business  then  went  under  the  control  of  the  Union 
Fish  Company  and  the  Alaska  Codfish  Company. 

The  business  has  been  brought  to  a  high  standard  and 
enjoys  a  wide  market. 

Tonnage  in  the  Salmon  Fisheries. 

Oregon  began  canning  salmon  in  1866,  but  it  was  some 
years  later  before  the  industry  called  into  use  deep  water 
tonnage,  except  for  export  purposes. 

This  was  also  largely  the  condition  with  the  same  indus- 
try on  Puget  Sound,  in  British  Columbia  and  in  California. 

The  Alaska  salmon  fisheries  were  at  first  exploited  by 
San  Francisco  capital,  as  represented  in  the  Alaska  Packers 
Association. 

These  fisheries  being  so  far  removed  from  the  base  of 
supplies,  it  was  necessary  to  buy,  build  or  charter  deep 
water  tonnage  in  large  supply  to  transport  men  and 
materials  for  catching  and  canning  the  fish  and  to  bring 
to  San  Francisco  the  results  of  the  season's  work  and  the 
men  sent  to  perform  it. 

In  this  task  upwards  of  forty  vessels  have  been  engaged 
for  several  years.  Many  of  these  are  ships,  barks  and 
steamers  of  good  size,  so  that  a  considerable  amount  of 
capital  is  now  invested  in  tonnage  for  the  salmon  fisheries. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  149 

From  Forty-nine  to  Eighty-six. 

That  was  an  immense  fleet  which  entered  the  Golden 
Gate  at  San  Francisco  between  January  1,  1849,  and  Decem- 
ber 31,  1886,  a  period  of  thirty-eight  years. 

The  number  of  these  merchant  marine  arrivals  in  that 
interval  and  the  registered  tonnage  represented  by  the  same 
was  compiled  by  the  writer  in  1887,  when  it  was  much 
easier  to  get  at  the  facts  than  it  is  now,  because  of  the 
diminished  sources  of  information  in  these  matters,  incident 
to  the  loss  of  records  from  various  causes. 

For  the  first  three  years  of  this  period  the  destruction 
of  the  local  customs  house  by  fire  swept  into  oblivion  all  the 
Government  papers  and  books  stored  therein. 

From  various  other  sources  here  and  at  the  East  an 
approximate  idea  of  the  extent  and  sources  of  the  arrivals 
for  those  three  years  has  been  obtained. 

The  customs  district  of  San  Francisco  was  not  estab- 
lished until  September,  1850,  and  it  was  not  until  1856 
that  the  Government  undertook  to  compile  commercial  facts 
by  customs  districts. 

From  1849  to  1886,  steamer  lines  were  in  operation  with 
more  or  le^s  regularity  between  San  Francisco  and  Panama, 
Nicaragua,  British  Columbia,  Mexico,  Hawaiian  Islands, 
Australasia,  China  and  Japan  and  the  Society  Islands. 

The  line  between  Nicaragua  and  San  Francisco  was  not 
opened  until  1851,  and  was  entirely  uncovered  between 
1858  and  1862,  and  in  1868  it  was  for  the  second  time  and 
as  a  finality  abandoned  in  favor  of  Panama,  where  service 
was  commenced  in  1849. 

Steamer  service  on  the  other  routes  did  not  commence 
until  1858,  and  from  that  time  down  to  1885,  when  connec- 
tion was  made  with  Tahiti. 

From  a  single  steamer  line  representing  14  arrivals  and 
13,500  tons  of  tonnage,  in  1849,  there  were  260  steamship 


150  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

arrivals  from  foreign  ports  in  1886,  representing  369,760 
tons  of  tonnage. 

The  independent  line  to  Honolulu  was  suspended  from 
1874  to  1877,  and  again  from  1879  to  1881,  so  the  arrivals 
on  that  route  up  to  1886  covered  only  14  years,  though  the 
service  was  inaugurated  in  1866.  There  were  also  some 
short  time  lapses  on  the  Australian  route. 

A  summary  of  these  steamship  arrivals  from  foreign 
ports  at  San  Francisco  from  1849  to  1886,  both  years  inclu- 
sive, is  herewith  annexed: 

ROUTE.  PERIOD.  NO.  TONS. 

Panama    1849-86  1,279  2,691,413 

Nicaragua    1851-68  171  215,643 

British    Columbia    1858-86  1,432  1,718,960 

Mexico    1859-86  294  312,607 

Hawaiian   Islands   1866-86  160  244,311 

Australasia    1871-86  184  395,502 

China  and   Japan   1867-86  477  1,550,463 

Society   Islands   1885-86  10  6,500 


Total  4,007         7,135,399 

In  1887,  the  Pacific  Mail  Company  either  owned  or  con- 
trolled 18  iron  or  steel  propellers. 

These  18  steamers  represented  34,200  tons  of  tonnage. 
For  the  previous  two  years  the  company  had  not  added  a 
single  steamer  to  the  fleet. 

Pending  this  delay  and  before  proceeding  to  order  addi- 
tions to  the  fleet,  the  company  was  appealing  to  Congress 
for  some  subsidy  or  some  additional  subsidy  for  carrying 
the  mails,  or  some  rebate  on  the  materials  in  the  construc- 
tion of  new  steamers. 

What  the  company  did  in  the  way  of  additions  to  the 
fleet  subsequent  to  1886  is  covered  elsewhere  in  this  story. 

In  addition  to  the  steamer  arrivals  in  the  foreign  trade 
of  San  Francisco  from  1849  to  1886,  there  were  during  the 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  151 

same  interval  14,833  sail  arrivals  in  the  same  trade,  repre- 
senting 9,870,120  tons  of  registered  tonnage. 

From  316  of  such  arrivals  in  1849,  representing  about 
120,000  tons  of  tonnage,  tHe  number  was  irregularly 
increased  until  it  reached  549  arrivals  of  537,764  tons  of 
tonnage  in  1886. 

The  smallest  number  of  arrivals  in  the  interval  was  217 
of  85,100  tons  in  1857,  though  the  smallest  amount  of  ton- 
nage to  enter  was  80,000  tons  in  1855. 

The  largest  number  of  sail  arrivals  in  the  same  interval 
was  671  of  649,100  tons  in  1881.  The  number  of  such  arri- 
vals was  the  same  in  1882,  when  the  tonnage  was  638,800 
tons. 

The  numerous  arrivals  at  that  time  were  due  to  the 
unusually  heavy  demand  for  ships  to  carry  away  the  surplus 
of  an  unprecedented  wheat  crop. 

The  sail  tonnage  arrivals  at  San  Francisco  from  domes- 
tic Atlantic  ports  from  1849  to  1886  were  4,409,  represent- 
ing 4,903,400  tons-  of  tonnage. 

The  arrivals  from  the  above  sources  were  the  most 
numerous  in  the  first  six  years  of  the  period  named,  due 
to  the  rush  of  gold  seekers  and  the  supplies  necessary  for 
their  subsistence  until  productive  sources  in  California  could 
be  made  available. 

Statistics  of  these  arrivals  in  those  six  years  are  quite 
defective  for  reasons  already  given.  There  was  not  that 
discrimination  between  the  Pacific  and  Atlantic  in  the  domes- 
tic tonnage  movement  in  those  early  years  as  obtained  later. 

This  accounts  for  the  variations  in  the  statistical  records 
supposed  to  be  more  or  less  authoritative. 

It  is  conceded  that  the  sail  arrivals  from  domestic  Atlan- 
tic ports  from  1849  to  1854,  both  years  inclusive,  varied  from 
about  200  to  350  per  annum,  while  the  tonnage  represented 
by  such  arrivals  varied  from  200,000  to  250,000  tons  per 
annum. 


152  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

In  no  subsequent  year  did  the  arrivals  from  domestic 
Atlantic  ports  exceed  150  or  the  tonnage  represented  by 
the  same  160,000  tons. 

There  was  an  irregular  decrease  in  the  number  from  1854 
to  1865,  when  there  were  80  arrivals  of  85,800  tons. 

From  this  low  point,  the  number  was  increased  to  146 
of  161,000  tons  in  1869. 

The  completion  of  the  first  through  railway  between 
New  York  and  San  Francisco  in  1868  had  the  effect  of 
diverting  much  freight  intended  for  the  Pacific  Coast  from 
the  Cape  Horn  route. 

In  1871,  there  were  only  58  arrivals  of  68,200  tons  of 
tonnage  at  this  port  from  New  York  and  other  Eastern  ports. 

In  1875  and  for  the  following  two  years,  there  was  a 
better  showing  made  on  this  route,  the  arrivals  for  those 
years  varying  from  81  to  88  and  the  tonnage  from  116,200 
tons  to  150,500  tons. 

In  1886,  these  arrivals  numbered  only  29  of  52,500  tons. 
How  the  Cape  Horn  route  for  reaching  San  Francisco  by  sail 
was  subsequently  virtually  abandoned  is  told  elsewhere  in 
this  story. 

The  number  of  steamer  and  sail  arrivals  at  San  Francisco 
from  domestic  Pacific  ports  from  1849  to  1886  was  79,874, 
representing  19,350,500  tons  of  tonnage. 

This  department  of  trade  has  had  few  drawbacks  from 
the  start.  The  business  shows  a  steady  development  from 
year  to  year. 

From  about  200  steam  and  sail  arrivals  in  1849,  the 
number  was  3,252  in  1886,  representing  over  one  million 
tons  of  tonnage.  That  was  the  fifth  year  in  succession  that 
the  million  mark  in  volume  of  tonnage  had  been  passed. 

In  the  North  Pacific  fisheries,  the  arrivals  from  1852  to 
1886  numbered  960  of  220,300  tons. 

Most  if  not  all  of  this  tonnage  was  to  the  credit  of 
whalers.     Some  whalers  visited  this  coast  before  1852,  and 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  153 

even  before  1849,  but  there  is  no  accurate  record  of  such 
arrivals. 

The  steamer  and  sail  arrivals  at  San  Francisco  from  all 
ocean  sources  from  1849  to  1886  approximate  104,083  of 
41,489,100  tons  of  tonnage. 

The  sources  of  the  sail  tonnage  included  in  these  totals 
for  the  38  years  ending  with  1886  were  as  follows : 

FROM.  ARRIVALS.  TONS. 

Europe  3,356  3,171,511 

Australasia     2,066  2,040,799 

China  and  Hongkong  1,194  962,805 

Japan   252  186,279 

East   Indies    521  389,285 

British  Columbia  1,252  992,703 

South  America  1,255  628,682 

Central  America  381  113,375 

Mexico    1,339  267,495 

Hawaiian  Islands  1,789  585,997 

Other  Pacific   Islands   866  166,227 

Miscellaneous     562  365,472 

In  Foreign  Trade,  sail  14,833  9,870,630 

In  Foreign  Trade,  steam 4,007  7,135,700 

Domestic  Atlantic  Ports   4,409  4,903,445 

Domestic  Pacific  Ports  79,874  19,350,500 

Fisheries  960  229,349 

Grand    Total    104,083  41,489,615 

Totals  from  domestic  ports  and  fisheries  represent  sail  and 
steam  tonnage. 

The  foregoing  statistics  were  compiled  by  the  writer  in 
1887,  and  were  made  public  in  the  same  year. 

The  Man  on  the  Quarter-deck. 

Of  the  scores  of  men  in  service  on  the  great  ocean 
steamers  of  the  world,  two  stand  out  prominently  because 
of  the  responsible  positions  assigned  them. 

One  of  these  is  the  man  on  the  quarter-deck,  the  captain 


154  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

or  commander  of  the  vessel.  On  account  of  his  position, 
this  man  is  necessarily  in  the  limelight. 

The  other  man  is  the  engineer,  whose  duties  necessarily 
keep  him  much  of  the  time  on  the  voyage  from  the  public 
view. 

Both  of  these  positions  appear  to  be  equally  important, 
though  the  captain,  of  course,  is  supreme  in  authority,  but 
it  is  the  engineer  that  makes  the  steamer  go  from  one  port 
to  another. 

It  is  the  harmonious  combination  of  the  services  of  these 
two  men  that  ensures  safe  trips  across  the  seas  to  thousands 
of  people  on  every  day  in  the  year. 

Because  he  is  below  and  much  of  the  time  beyond  the 
view  of  the  passengers,  the  engineer  does  not  get  as  many 
compliments  as  the  captain,  but  he  is  entitled  to  much  more 
praise  than  he  gets. 

The  captain  of  an  ocean  steamer,  with  an  experience  of 
30,  20  or  even  10  years,  is  an  object  of  interest.  Of  him 
when  at  sea,  it  may  be  said,  ''he  is  monarch  of  all  he  sur- 
veys." 

His  pathway  is  the  sea,  and  fire  and  water  are  his  ser- 
vants. If  possible,  he  must  not  allow  either  to  get  the 
mastery  over  him. 

The  law  of  his  mouth  from  the  quarter-deck  governs  all 
on  board  in  storm  and  calm.  With  valuable  property  and 
precious  lives  under  his  control,  he  must  have  complete 
authority  as  compensation  for  his  responsibility. 

Every  man  who  walks  the  quarter-deck  may  not  be  equal 
to  every  emergency,  but  the  quarrel  must  be  made  with  those 
who  gave  him  the  command. 

The  qualities  of  an  efficient  captain  are  varied  and  diffi- 
cult to  find  in  the  same  person.  Two  elements  are  indis- 
pensable. The  captain  of  an  ocean  steamer  must  be  a  gen- 
tleman and  he  must  thoroughly  understand  his  profession. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  155 

The  owners  .of  ocean  steamers  in  the  California  trade 
have  been  generally  fortunate  in  the  selection  of  com- 
manders. 

Civil  service  has  been  well  illustrated  in  this  depart- 
ment. Many  of  those  thought  good  enough  to  be  first, 
second  and  third  officers  have  been  advanced  as  vacancies 
occurred  to  a  full  command. 

Bright  young  men  from  the  Navy  have  been  given  a 
show,  especially  in  the  Pacific  Mail  Company's  service. 
Some  of  these,  however,  have  not  done  as  well  as  some  selec- 
tions from  the  masters  of  merchant  ships — men  who  worked 
themselves  up  from  the  lowest  place  before  the  mast. 

The  best  material  for  seamen  is  not  confined  to  the 
Navy,  but  this  is  no  reflection  on  Annapolis,  any  more  than 
in  the  Civil  War  the  best  generals  were  not  always  from 
West  Point. 

Had  these  men  been  favored  with  the  education  and 
discipline  of  these  institutions  they  would  undoubtedly  have 
been  still  better  equipped  for  service  on  the  quarter-deck 
or  on  the  tented  field. 

Schools  do  not  supply  brains,  but  simply  develop  and 
direct  what  already  exists. 

All  of  the  commanders  of  ocean  steamers  entering  this 
port  in  the  pioneer  years  of  California's  history  have  long 
since  passed  away,  and  whatever  of  praise  or  censure  now 
rendered  can  neither  help  nor  harm  them. 

Dr.  A.  B.  Stout,  surgeon  on  the  steamer  California — the 
first  to  enter  this  port,  in  1849 — survived  all  other  officers 
on  that  trip  by  many  years,  and  yet  he  died  a  long  time  ago. 

The  Oregon  was  the  second  steamer  to  come  from  Pan- 
ama, and  Thomas  Huntington,  in  1887,  was  the  only  one  of 
the  general  officers  then  living.  Mr.  Huntington  was  on  the 
seas  for  many  years  both  in  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific. 

All  the  other  officers  on  the  Oregon  on  her  first  trip. 


156  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  ■ — Past  and  Future 

down  to  the  boatswain,  subsequently  rose  to  be  commanders. 

E.  S.  Farnsworth  was  the  boatswain  on  that  trip.  He  had 
previously  commanded  a  sailing  vessel.  He  became  second 
officer  in  1855,  and  was  afterwards  first  officer  of  the  steamer 
John  L.  Stephens.  Subsequently  he  was  given  command  of 
the  steamer  Orizaba  and  other  steamers  in  the  Panama  trade. 
He  was  in  command  of  the  Sacramento  when  it  was  wrecked 
in  1872,  and  died  in  1882. 

Richard  L.  "Whiting  and  W.  L.  Dall  were  first  and  second 
officers  on  the  Oregon.  In  1851,  Mr.  Knight,  local  agent  of 
the  Pacific  Mail,  tendered  these  gentlemen  positions  as  com- 
manders of  the  steamers  California  and  Columbia,  the  former 
to  take  the  California  as  soon  as  there  was  a  vacancy,  then 
expected  to  occur  in  about  sixty  days,  or  he  could  take  the 
Columbia  on  the  Portland  route  and  so  enter  the  service 
immediately. 

As  the  captains  on  the  Panama  steamers  at  that  time 
received  a  salary  of  $300  per  month  and  2i/2  per  cent  primage 
on  all  the  treasure  carried,  Whiting  concluded  to  wait  for 
the  vacancy,  while  Dall  took  the  Columbia,  with  the  privi- 
lege of  carrying  40  tons  produce  from  Oregon  to  San  Fran- 
cisco free  of  charge  in  lieu  of  primage. 

These  men  were  the  selections  of  Captain  Pearson,  then 
in  command  of  the  California,  but  who  had  been  ordered 
by  the  company  to  bring  out  the  new  steamer  Golden  Gate 
to  San  Francisco  from  New  York.  This  steamer  arrived 
here  in  1851,  and  continued  in  the  Panama  trade  until 
burned  in  1862. 

A  good  story  is  told  of  these  three  early  captains,  by 
Captain  Pearson.  At  that  time  there  were  only  four  Ameri- 
can steamships  running  out  of  New  York,  the  Washington 
and  Herman  to  Bremen,  and  the  Northerner  and  Southerner 
to  Charleston,  all  of  which  subsequently  came  to  this  coast. 
Dall  and  Whiting  had  been  masters  of  sailing  vessels.    Pear- 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  157 

son  asked  Whiting  what  his  experience  had  been  in  steam 
navigation,  and  the  short,  stocky  man  replied,  ''The  same 
that  you  have  yourself,  sir — going  on  the  ferry  to  Hoboken. ' ' 
Pearson  did  not  know  whether  to  laugh  or  get  angry,  when 
in  stepped  Dall,  to  whom  a  similar  question  was  propounded, 
and  he  replied:  "None  at  all;  but  I'm  engaged  to  be  mar- 
ried to  a  lady  in  Hoboken,  and  I  hope  to  learn  something 
in  traveling  back  and  forth  on  the  ferry." 

Dall  made  a  good  record  for  himself  on  the  Columbia, 
700  tons  register.  On  the  round  trip  to  Oregon  he  had  to 
cross  eight  bars.  On  reaching  one  of  these,  he  would  call 
up  his  pilot,  lash  him  to  the  bridge,  and  then  send  his  little 
steamer  through  the  surf  whether  it  were  fair  or  foul 
weather. 

Frank  Connor  was  second  officer  on  the  Goliah  in  1850. 
He  was  tall  and  wiry,  and  very  ordinary  looking  as  a  young 
man,  but  he  aged  out  handsomely  with  his  erect  stature  and 
snowy  white  hair  and  beard. 

Captain  Blethen  had  a  long  and  varied  experience.  He 
made  80  voyages  across  the  Atlantic,  300  to  and  from  San 
Juan,  22  to  Australia  and  4  to  Chagres.  He  was  on  the 
war  steamers  Peerless  and  Daniel  Webster,  in  which  he 
transported  over  10,000  wounded  soldiers. 

Ned  Wakeman  was  a  diamond  in  the  rough.  He  had 
command  of  several  steamers.  He  ran  the  New  World  out  of 
New  York,  when  she  was  supposed  to  be  in  charge  of  the 
sheriff,  and  some  years  later  allowed  the  John  L.  Stephens, 
of  which  he  was  captain,  to  be  captured  by  Frank  Dana  and 
others  at  San  Bias. 

Jacob  S.  Bogart  was  one  of  the  early  captains  in  the 
Coast  service,  and  chief  officer  on  the  Golden  Gate  on  her 
first  trip.  His  death  was  singular.  At  the  time  he  was 
piloting  a  ship  into  port  and  leaning  against  the  capstan, 
when  the  captain  called  out  for  instructions,  but  there  was 
no  answer.    Death  had  previously  called. 


158  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

Commodore  Watkins  was  in  command  of  the  Golden 
Age  in  1855,  and  had  as  a  passenger  Mr.  Aspinwall,  president 
of  the  Pacific  Mail.  As  the  steamer  neared  Tincaro  Island, 
Mr.  Aspinwall  asked  Watkins  if  there  was  no  passage  inside 
of  the  island.  Watkins  said  there  was,  but  he  had  always 
taken  the  safe  side  and  gone  to  the  west.  "How  much  time 
would  you  save  by  going  to  the  east  side?"  "Three  or  four 
hours."  "Take  it,"  said  Aspinwall,  and  an  hour  later  the 
Golden  Age  was  fast  on  the  reef,  where  she  remained  for 
the  best  part  of  three  days.  Mr.  Aspinwall  assumed  all  the 
blame  for  that  event. 

Commodore  Watkins  was  a  notable  figure  on  land  or  sea. 
He  represented  good  weight,  fine  looks,  dignity  and  courtesy. 
From  the  incident  on  the  Golden  Age  to  the  day  of  his  death 
on  board  the  Colorado  at  Nagasaki,  he  never  met  with  a 
mishap  to  his  ship  or  lost  a  man. 

Captain  Nicholson,  whose  son  was  a  paying  teller  in  the 
Bank  of  California  in  the  seventies,  was  in  command  of  the 
British  steamer  Unicorn,  under  charter  to  the  Pacific  Mail. 

W.  F.  Lapidge  was  in  the  Cunard  line  when  only  18 
years  of  age.  Mr.  Aspinwall  met  him  on  the  Niagara  while 
he  was  on  duty  and  attempted  to  converse  with  him,  when 
Lapidge  replied,  "It  is  not  customary  for  officers  to  talk  to 
passengers  while  on  watch. ' '  The  remark  pleased  Aspinwall, 
and  he  subsequently  sought  Lapidge  out  and  put  him  in  the 
Pacific  Mail.  Lapidge  was  one  of  the  smallest  in  stature  and 
lightest  in  weight  that  one  ever  sees  on  an  ocean  steamer,  but 
he  was  an  efficient  officer. 

Allan  McLane  came  out  to  the  Coast  as  captain  of  the 
propeller  Fremont  in  1852.  He  subsequently  became  presi- 
dent of  the  Pacific  Mail  and  was  in  office  and  a  passenger  on 
the  Colorado  at  the  inauguration  of  steam  service  with  the 
Orient.  The  Fremont,  built  in  1850,  has  outlived  its  com- 
mander at  that  time. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  159 

J.  M.  Lachlan  commanded  the  steamer  Alaska  on  her 
voyage  to  China  from  New  York.  Up  to  that  time  she  was 
the  largest  vessel  that  had  ever  gone  through  the  Red  Sea. 
Lachlan  designed  the  iron  steamers  Alameda  and  Mariposa, 
the  greyhounds  of  the  Pacific  when  they  entered  the  service. 

C.  F.  Hewett  of  the  iron  collier  San  Pedro  was  first  officer 
of  the  Yankee  Blade  when  wrecked  in  1854. 

R.  H.  Horner  was  in  command  of  the  Uncle  Sam  in  1854, 
and  died  in  1883. 

Hudson  and  Comstoek  were  the  sons  of  Commodores 
bearing  the  same  names,  but  did  not  seem  to  inherit  any  of 
the  seamanship  traits  of  their  fathers.  Hudson  lost  the 
Golden  Gate  and  Comstoek  the  Golden  City. 

Hudson  was  selected  to  take  the  America  from  New  York 
to  the  Amoor  river,  Russian  Asia,  in  1854.  Arriving  at  Rio 
to  coal,  two  British  men-of-war  followed  her  in  to  watch 
her.  Hudson  was  annoyed  at  this  and  determined  to  run  out 
as  soon  as  the  wind  favored,  knowing  he  could  not  be  fired 
upon  in  a  neutral  port.  One  night  a  terrible  wind  came  up, 
and  the  next  morning  Hudson  and  the  America  were  miss- 
ing. He  cleared  for  "Valparaiso,  intending  to  coal  there,  but 
he  did  not.  The  Britishers  followed  in  his  wake,  but  did  not 
overtake  him,  and  lost  track  of  him  until  he  had  got  such  a 
start  that  further  pursuit  was  fruitless. 

Bob  Waterman  brought  out  the  Northerner,  though 
Captain  Randall,  the  owner,  was  also  on  board.  When  at 
Valparaiso  someone  asked  Bob  what  the  ship  was  doing  with 
two  captains,  Bob  humorously  replied,  pointing  to  Randall, 
"He  cleans  the  knives  and  I  navigate  the  ship." 

Joseph  Sutton  was  on  the  St.  Louis  in  1860  or  1861,  and 
on  the  Sacramento  in  1865,  when  Colfax,  Bross,  Richardson 
and  Sam  Bowles  returned  to  the  East  from  San  Francisco. 
Connection  was  made  at  Aspinwall  with  the  Henry  Chaun- 
cey,  and  the  through  trip  was  made  inside  of  22  days.    The 


160  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

Chauncey  then  made  her  famous  passage  of  2,018  nautical 
miles  in  6  days  3  hours  and  40  minutes. 

Charles  H.  Baldwin  was  a  captain  in  the  Nicaraguan  line, 
and  afterwards  became  a  partner  with  C.  Adolphe  Low  in 
the  tea  business  in  San  Francisco. 

Jeff  Maury  and  S.  P.  Griffin  were  from  the  United  States 
Navy,  and  both  became  commodores  in  the  Pacific  Mail 
service.  Maury's  uncle  issued  charts  that  have  always  been 
regarded  as  indispensable  to  navigation. 

Griffin  died  at  Aspinwall  on  July  4,  1887.  He  wore  many 
medals  of  honor.  The  one  he  most  highly  prized  was  a 
decoration  conferred  by  Queen  Victoria  in  recognition  of 
his  services  on  the  Grinnell  expedition,  which  secured  the 
first  traces  of  the  lost  explorer,  Sir  John  Franklin. 

A.  V.  H.  Leroy  was  in  the  Pacific  Mail  service  in  1851 
and  for  years  afterwards. 

Frank  Baby  was  first  officer  on  the  Republic  in  1851, 
and  was  captain  of  the  Constitution  in  1854.  He  was  a 
favorite  of  Allan  McLane,  and  became  wealthy  by  marriage. 
He  was  at  one  time  agent  of  the  company  in  San  Fran- 
cisco. 

John  Bermingham  is  one  of  the  old  time  steamship  men. 
When  in  charge  of  the  Republic  in  Mexico,  he  dove  down 
under  her  without  armor,  sixteen  feet,  to  stop  a  leak,  and 
was  given  a  watch  and  vote  of  thanks  for  the  service.  He 
has  since  performed  many  other  still  more  meritorious  acts 
without  the  gift  of  a  watch  or  even  a  vote  of  thanks.  Cap- 
tain Bermingham  has  for  some  years  held  the  important 
position  of  U.  S.  Supervising  Inspector  of  Steam  Vessels  at 
San  Francisco. 

Captain  Seabury  entered  the  service  of  the  Pacific  Mail 
in  1868  and  retired  as  commodore  in  1908,  having  given  forty 
years  of  his  life  to  the  company. 

Captain  Daniel  Friele  was  connected  with  the  Pacific 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  161 

Mail  from  1868  to  1911,  voluntarily  retiring  in  the  latter 
year  as  commodore  and  on  a  pension. 

Captain  Russell  began  his  service  with  the  Pacific  Mail 
in  1868,  and  is  still  in  active  command,  and  of  late  on  the 
Panama  route. 

Freight  Earnings  Inward. 

In  the  early  sixties  it  was  the  custom  of  the  writer  to 
secure  the  amount  of  freight  money  paid  on  inward  cargoes 
from  domestic  Atlantic  and  foreign  ports  by  steamers  and 
sail  vessels.  This  began  in  1864  and  was  kept  up  for  several 
years. 

The  total  amount  of  such  freight  money  in  1864  was 
$8,109,600,  of  which  $3,747,700  was  paid  on  cargoes  from 
domestic  Atlantic  ports,  $2,380,100  on  freight  by  the  Panama 
steamers,  and  $1,981,800  on  freight  received  by  sail  vessels  in 
the  foreign  trade.  On  cargoes  from  domestic  ports,  the 
freight  was  paid  in  paper  money  of  variable  value,  while 
from  foreign  ports  it  was  in  gold  coin  of  standard  value. 

In  the  following  three  years  this  freight  money  amounted 
to  an  average  of  $6,800,000  per  annum  and  in  the  next  two 
years  it  was  $8,064,800  and  $8,949,100. 

No  reports  from  the  Panama  steamers  were  available 
after  1869.  In  1870,  freight  money  on  inward  cargoes  under 
sail  amounted  to  $3,484,000,  and  in  1871  it  was  $3,336,400. 

The  tons  of  freight  received  from  domestic  Atlantic  ports 
under  sail  from  1866  to  1871,  inclusive,  show  an  aggregate  of 
1,107,900,  the  largest  total  for  any  one  year  being  273,600 
tons  in  1869. 

Freight  Earnings  Outward. 

Earnings  of  ships  employed  in  the  grain  export  trade  of 
California  have  figured  prominently  in  the  outbound  fleet 
from  this  port,  especially  in  the  years  of  large  wheat  crops 
in  the  State,  and  an  active  European  demand  for  cereals. 


162  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

Some  illustrations  of  these  earnings  will  be  of  interest 
in  this  connection,  as  compiled  at  the  time  by  the  writer. 

In  the  harvest  year  of  1893-94,  when  179  vessels  were 
cleared,  representing  334,800  tons  of  registered  tonnage, 
these  earnings  were  $3,485,800.  In  the  following  year,  160 
vessels  of  293,900  tons  earned  $3,009,600,  and  the  year  fol- 
lowing that  208  vessels  of  380,900  tons  earned  $4,181,500. 

In  those  three  harvest  years,  grain  ships  from  this  port 
earned  $10,676,900.  For  the  last  two  of  those  years  the  total 
was  $7,191,100,  of  which  American  vessels  received  $425,100 
and  foreign  vessels  the  remainder.  The  British  ships  took 
$5,994,600  of  that  remainder. 

The  wheat  crops  in  those  three  years  were  much  smaller 
than  usual,  the  total  for  the  three  seasons  being  less  than 
20,000,000  centals.  The  rates  paid  for  transportation  were 
also  correspondingly  light. 

High  and  Low  Grain  Charters. 

There  was  not  much  wheat  exported  from  San  Fran- 
cisco until  1860. 

For  the  calendar  year  of  1868,  there  were  193  grain 
charters  reported  and  in  the  following  calendar  year,  240. 
In  the  last  quarter  of  1869,  the  demand  was  light  and  the 
rates  to  Europe  declined  from  65s  to  48s  as  extremes. 

For  the  decade  ending  with  1871,  reporters  were  referred 
to  Isaac  Friedlander  for  rates  for  grain  charters.  During 
that  interval  Mr.  Friedlander  practically  controlled  the 
grain  and  tonnage  markets,  though  not  a  wheat  shipper 
himself. 

The  wheat  export  trade  of  the  port  was  largely  in  the 
hands  of  foreign  firms,  who  received  the  orders  from  the 
other  side,  and  Mr.  Friendlander  supplied  both  wheat  and 
ship  in  the  execution  of  these  orders. 

In  the  early  seventies,  the  wheat  producers  and  would- 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  163 

be  shippers  grew  restless  over  this  situation.  They  did  not 
think  they  were  getting  a  fair  shake,  and  what  was  known 
as  the  granger  movement  was  the  outcome  of  that  condition 
of  affairs. 

Farmers  formed  themselves  into  groups,  or  granges,  and 
undertook  the  experiment  of  chartering  their  own  ships  and 
loading  the  same  with  their  own  wheat,  sent  direct  from 
the  ranches  to  tidewater. 

In  this  undertaking  they  had  the  assistance  of  E.  E. 
Morgan's  Sons,  of  New  York,  a  shipping  firm  of  much 
repute  on  the  Atlantic  side,  and  with  strong  and  extensive 
European  connections. 

The  firm  sent  to  San  Francisco  as  its  representative, 
Mr.  Walcott,  a  bright  young  man  of  much  ability  and 
energy,  and  with  an  almost  unlimited  letter  of  credit. 

From  the  very  start,  Mr.  Walcott  realized  that  he  had 
a  well  seasoned  veteran  to  deal  with  in  securing  tonnage 
for  the  farmers  that  wanted  to  load  their  own  wheat. 

To  do  this  successfully  he  knew  it  was  necessary  to 
find  out  every  source  of  tonnage  on  the  way  to  the  Coast 
and  the  location  of  every  ship  owned  in  Europe,  to  the  end 
of  diverting  as  many  of  these  as  possible  to  the  Pacific  Coast 
at  an  early  date. 

Having  ascertained  these  facts,  the  only  remaining  thing 
to  do  was  to  outbid  all  rivals  for  tonnage  suitable  for  wheat 
transportation. 

Mr.  Friedlander  soon  discovered  that  a  battle  for  ships 
had  commenced,  and  that  it  was  likely  to  be  one  of  con- 
siderable magnitude. 

He  was  quite  right  in  his  premises.  There  had  never 
been  anything  like  it  before  at  this  port,  and  there  has 
never  been  anything  like  it  since,  nor  is  there  likely  to  be 
a  repetition  of  the  same  in  the  future. 

Up  to  that  time,  60s  had  been  considered  a  high  average 


164  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

rate  for  first-class  ships  to  take  wheat  cargoes  hence  to 
Europe. 

The  harvest  year  of  1872-73  had  been  chosen  for  the 
inauguration  of  the  new  movement.  The  wheat  crop  in 
California  had  been  light  and  as  a  result  only  43  vessels 
were  cleared  in  1871-2,  carrying  1,353,200  ctls.  wheat,  all 
for  Europe,  and  every  cargo  but  one  for  Great  Britain. 

The  writer  has  a  list  of  every  charter  made  for  grain 
loading  at  San  Francisco  for  the  fiscal  year  of  1872-73. 
There  were  339  cargoes  cleared  in  that  harvest  year,  against 
43  in  the  previous  year. 

The  first  vessel  to  clear  in  that  harvest  year  was  the 
Favorita,  on  July  3rd.  She  went  direct  to  Liverpool  under 
a  charter  of  60s,  with  34,676  ctls.  wheat,  valued  at  $65,000. 
This  ship,  as  well  as  some  others  that  followed  her  in  that 
month,  had  some  of  the  1871  crop  as  well  as  the  1872  crop. 

The  three  ships  that  followed  the  Favorita  in  July  went 
direct  to  Liverpool  at  65s,  while  the  next  two  for  the  same 
destination  went  out  under  charters  of  70s  and  72s  6d. 

The  Margaret  Knight  was  the  first  vessel  in  that  year 
to  go  out  under  a  charter  of  £4.  This  was  a  small  vessel, 
carrying  only  12,200  ctls.  wheat.  She  went  direct  to  Liver- 
pool at  83s  6d. 

There  was  a  small  shipment  in  the  same  month  to  the 
same  destination  by  the  steamer  Sacramento  via  Panama 
at  90s.  Five  other  Panama  steamers  in  the  same  year  took 
small  consignments  of  wheat  at  90s  to  95s. 

With  few  exceptions  all  the  vessels  clearing  between 
August  15th  and  September  30th,  numbering  69,  had  been 
secured  and  loaded  under  charters  of  80s  and  upwards. 
Only  16  of  that  number  went  under  80s,  and  the  charters 
for  these  ranged  from  60s  to  75s. 

Three  others  of  the  69  cleared  in  that  interval  went  to 
Cork  for  orders  to  any  port  in  Great  Britain  at  100s,  105s, 
and  110s,  respectively. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  165 

The  33  vessels  clearing  in  October  showed  a  still  larger 
number  under  charter  of  100s  and  upwards.  A  little  more 
than  one-half  of  the  number  for  that  month  went  out  under 
charters  varying  from  100s  to  116s.  There  were  three  at 
the  inside  figure  and  one  at  the  latter  figure.  Eight  of  the 
number  received  110s  to  116s. 

The  vessel  receiving  the  highest  rate  was  the  Henri 
Joseph,  with  9,250  etls  for  Cork  for  orders.  The  one  re- 
ceiving the  next  highest  rate  was  the  Wm.  Melhuish  for 
Southampton  with  23,000  ctls.  The  two  receiving  113s  were 
the  Reveil  for  Cork,  with  14,500  ctls.,  and  the  Angenor  for 
Liverpool,  with  45,300  etls.  Six  others  received  110s  to 
112s  6d.  One  vessel  cleared  in  the  same  month  at  55s,  but 
that  was  the  only  one  under  60s. 

Thirteen  of  the  42  cleared  in  November  received  100s  to 
115s.  The  one  at  the  last  named  figure  was  the  R.  C.  Wylie 
for  Cork,  with  14,000  ctls. 

The  Loyal  Sam  came  into  port  under  70s  charter,  but 
left  November  7th'  for  Cork  with  15,000  ctls.  under  a  re- 
charter  at  116s. 

Five  others  in  November  went  out  under  charters  of  60s 
to  77s  6d. 

There  were  35  cargoes  cleared  in  December,  and  13 
went  out  under  charters  of  100s  to  107s  6d. 

The  clearings  for  January,  1873,  were  51,  the  largest 
number  in  the  harvest  year,  including  5  at  100s  and  up- 
wards, and  25  at  60s  to  77s  6d. 

The  clearings  for  February  were  20  less  than  for  Jan- 
uary, and  included  only  3  at  100s  and  over,  but  most  of 
the  others  were  at  80s  and  upwards. 

There  were  29  clearings  in  March,  most  of  them  at  80s 
to  90s,  though  including  7  at  66s  to  77s  6d. 

In  the  last  quarter  of  1872-73  the  clearings  were  43,  of 
which  23  were  at  80s  to  90s.    The  one  at  90s  was  to  receive 


166  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

lOOs  if  ordered  to  the  continent.  Three  others  chartered 
under  80s  were  to  have  82s  6d  to  84s  if  ordered  to  the  con- 
tinent to  discharge  cargo. 

The  year  1872-73  has  gone  into  history  as  showing  the 
highest  average  rates  for  grain  charters  out  of  San  Fran- 
cisco. The  average  for  that  year  was  85s.  It  was  a  year 
of  fortune  and  misfortune,  the  former  being  the  inheritance 
of  shipowners  and  the  latter  falling  to  those  handling  the 
cargoes. 

The  losses  for  that  year  fell  most  heavily  upon  E.  E. 
Morgan's  Sons  and  the  farmers  who  thought  they  could 
dispense  with  all  middle  men,  whether  experienced  or  in- 
experienced. 

It  took  two  years  to  get  these  high  freight  notions  out 
of  the  heads  of  ship  owners,  which  of  course  worked  a  hard- 
ship on  those  who  handled  cargoes  in  that  interval. 

The  highest  rates  in  those  two  years  were  105s  in  1873-4 
and  91s  6d  in  1874-5,  though  there  were  some  vessels  in 
1875-6  at  92s. 

In  1879-80,  the  extreme  rate  was  70s  and  the  business 
was  restored  to  normal  conditions. 

The  unprecedented  wheat  crop  in  the  State  in  1880  sent 
freights  up  again  to  84s  in  the  fall  of  that  year,  and  90s  in 
the  following  summer.  The  lowest  figures  for  those  years 
were  50s  and  40s,  respectively. 

From  90s  as  an  extreme  rate  in  1881,  there  was  a  steady 
decline  for  the  next  six  years  under  lessened  wheat  crops 
and  lower  prices  in  Europe. 

In  1887-88  the  range  was  35s  9d  to  18s  9d,  and  the  aver- 
age 27s  5d. 

Another  extreme  in  grain  freights  out  of  this  port  of  an 
entirely  different  character  and  from  entirely  different 
reasons,  occurred  many  years  afterwards. 

Of  course  one  of  these  elements  of  weakness  was  due 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  167 

to  the  steady  and  in  some  years  radical  decrease  in  the 
wheat  crops  of  the  State.  The  increase  in  the  barley  crops 
neutralized  the  decline  to  some  extent. 

Another  element  was  the  superabundance  of  idle  ton- 
nage in  the  port,  owing  to  some  miscalculations  as  to  the 
needed  supply  or  to  a  partial  failure  of  the  crop. 

The  most  important  as  well  as  the  most  permanent 
cause  for  the  low  rates  in  those  later  years  was  due  to  the 
French  subsidies  awarded  to  vessels  built  in  French  ports. 
These  subsidies  were  based  on  the  miles  covered,  without 
regard  to  cargo  or  the  direction  sailed. 

The  effect  of  this  element  culminated  in  1903-4  when  the 
rates  for  carrying  wheat  hence  to  Europe  fell  from  22s  6d 
to  10s  6d.  There  were  88  vessels  cleared  with  grain  that 
year,  of  which  45  were  British  and  36  French.  So  long  as 
there  was  a  French  disengaged  vessel  in  port  even  the 
British  ships  had  no  chance  for  a  charter. 

Vessels  For  Flour  and  Grain. 

For  many  years  before  the  grain  crops  of  California 
began  to  yield  a  surplus  for  export,  there  was  a  large  and 
increasing  demand  for  tonnage. 

Up  to  the  harvest  year  of  1866-67,  the  quantity  of  wheat 
exported  for  the  nine  previous  years  was  less  than  6,000,000 
ctls.,  and  yet  in  three  of  those  years  the  exports  were  in 
excess  of  1,000,000  ctls.  per  annum. 

The  first  wheat  crop  of  any  magnitude  was  harvested 
in  the  summer  of  1866,  and  the  engagements  for  flour  and 
wheat  for  the  four  calendar  years  of  1868  to  1871  were  670, 
representing  554,800  tons  of  registered  tonnage. 

There  was  a  poor  crop  in  1871,  but  a  bumper  one  in 
1872,  double  the  quantity  of  any  previous  year. 

From  July  1,  1872,  to  July  1,  1888,  a  period  of  16  years, 
4,696  vessels  of  6,001,400  tons  of  registered  tonnage  were 


168  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

cleared  from  this  port  with  flour  and  grain,  exclusive  of 
shipments  by  regular  passenger  steam  lines.  The  combined 
fleet  for  those  years  embraced  1,421  American  vessels  of 
2,183,900  tons,  2,864  British  vessels  of  3,438,900  tons,  and 
411  of  other  foreign  vessels  of  378,600  tons. 

The  largest  number  cleared  in  any  one  of  those  sixteen 
harvest  years  was  559,  of  which  149  were  American,  345 
British,  and  65  other  foreign  flags. 

To  load  and  clear  this  number  of  vessels  in  a  single 
year  meant  lively  work  for  those  participating  in  the  move- 
ment. There  had  to  be  over  10  vessels  cleared  every  week 
and  over  46  every  month. 

The  other  foreign  flags  represented  in  the  grain  fleet  in 
those  sixteen  years  were  the  German,  French,  Russian, 
Dutch,  Italian,  Norwegian,  Swedish,  Austrian,  Peruvian, 
Nicaraguan,  Honduras,  and  Hawaiian. 

Had  the  ship  subsidy  of  France  been  in  operation  during 
that  interval,  the  British  flag  would  not  have  been  so  con- 
spicuous and  the  French  flag  would  have  been  more  prom- 
inent. 

The  occasion  for  the  large  movement  in  1881-82  was  the 
unprecedented  crop  of  1880,  which  amounted  to  1,707,500 
tons.  The  crop  for  1881  was  also  large,  aggregating  1,359,- 
100  tons. 

The  last  one  million  ton  crop  was  harvested  in  1892.  In 
the  last  few  years  the  crops  have  been  insufficient  for  home 
consumption. 

Time  Made  by  Grain  Fleet. 

There  were  160  vessels  cleared  from  San  Francisco  for 
Europe  in  the  harvest  year  of  1894-5.  The  shortest  trip  that 
year  was  made  in  96  days,  and  the  longest  required  194 
days.  The  monthly  averages  were  118  to  149  days.  There 
was  a  loss  of  two  vessels  in  that  year. 

In  the  following  year  208  vessels  were   cleared.     The 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  169 

shortest  trip  was  lOl  days,  and  the  longest  170.  The  month- 
ly average  varied  from  120  to  145  days. 

In  1897-98  there  were  210  grain  vessels  cleared,  includ- 
ing 7  loaded  at  Los  Angeles  and  San  Diego.  The  number 
for  Europe  that  year  was  183.  Two  trips  were  made  inside 
of  100  days,  one  of  them  being  99  and  the  other  91.  The 
best  trip  was  by  the  French  bark  Margueritte  MoUinas. 
One  vessel  took  193  days  to  cover  the  same  distance.  The 
monthly  averages  were  122  to  147  days. 

The  grain  fleet  for  1898-9  was  the  smallest  in  many  years, 
consisting  of  54  vessels,  of  which  49  went  to  Europe.  The 
trips  were  generally  long;  the  shortest  was  109  days  and 
the  longest  170  daj^s.  The  monthly  averages  were  119  to 
152  days.  There  was  only  one  American  ship  in  the  fleet 
for  that  year,  the  A.  G.  Ropes,  which  made  the  run  to  Liver- 
pool in  124  days. 

In  1899-1900  there  were  165  grain  clearings,  including 
159  to  Europe.  A  German  vessel  made  the  record  trip,  going 
out  in  97  days,  or'  9  days  less  than  the  next  shortest.  The 
longest  trip  was  179  days.  The  monthly  averages  were  113 
to  149  days. 

There  were  153  vessels  cleared  in  the  following  cereal 
year,  of  which  146  went  to  Europe.  The  shortest  trip  was 
107  days,  and  the  longest  189  days.  The  monthly  averages 
were  111  to  127  days.  There  were  more  French  vessels  in 
the  list  that  year  in  proportion  to  the  whole  number  than 
usual,  and  three  of  these  were  credited  with  the  shortest 
trips. 

In  1902-3  there  were  137  vessels  cleared,  of  which  87  went 
to  Europe,  including  three  steamers.  The  steamers  went 
out  in  63  to  101  days.  The  shortest  trip  under  sail  was  104 
days  and  the  longest  177  days. 

In  1903-4  there  were  88  clearings,  including  84  to  Europe. 
The  shortest  trip  was  106  days  and  the  longest  202  days. 


170  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

Perhaps  the  most  remarkable  month's  sailing  record  in 
the  California  grain  fleet  occurred  in  February,  1900.  There 
were  21  sailings  in  that  month.  The  longest  trip  was  125 
days  and  the  shortest  97  days,  while  the  average  of  the 
whole  fleet  was  113  days. 

Ship's  Time  in  Port. 

Every  day  of  a  ship's  time  in  port  beyond  the  actual  or 
necessary  delay  needed  for  discharging  and  loading  is  a 
day  lost. 

Under  normal  conditions  this  operation  ought  not  to 
consume  more  than  thirty  or  forty  days.  This  of  course  de- 
pends somewhat  upon  the  character  of  the  cargo  taken  out 
or  taken  on. 

So  long  as  California  produced  good  crops  of  wheat  and 
barley,  ship  owners  found  little  difficulty  in  getting  prompt 
dispatch,  provided  they  timed  to  have  their  vessels  arrive 
here  between  August  1st  and  February,  for  usually  two- 
thirds  of  the  grain  crops  raised  in  this  State  are  distributed 
in  that  interval. 

Sometimes  elements  have  been  injected  to  upset  these 
calculations. 

Speculation  in  charters  and  in  grain  have  been  the  most 
aggravating  causes  of  disturbance,  and  San  Francisco  has 
had  an  experience  of  both  sorts.  In  years  when  it  was 
impossible  to  get  the  grain  and  the  ship  together  on  a  parity 
with  the  foreign  market,  delay  in  loading  was  inevitable. 

As  a  matter  of  interest,  the  writer  has  made  some 
exhibits  of  the  time  ships  have  spent  in  port.  Two  illustra- 
tions may  be  cited. 

Of  the  208  ships  cleared  with  grain  in  1895-6,  one  was 
in  port  300  days,  reckoning  from  the  date  of  her  arrival  to 
the  date  of  her  clearance ;  two  were  here  over  200,  but  less 
than  300  days ;  seven  over  100,  but  under  200 ;  six  between 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  171 

90  and  100  days;  sixteen  between  80  and  90;  twenty-five 
between  70  and  80;  twenty-seven  between  60  and  70;  fifty- 
three  between  50  and  60;  forty-seven  between  40  and  50; 
seventeen  between  30  and  40;  five  between  20  and  30,  and 
two  under  20  days. 

The  other  illustration  has  to  do  with  the  88  grain  vessels 
that  cleared  in  the  cereal  year  of  1903-4. 

One  of  the  fleet  that  year  on  the  day  she  cleared  had  a 
charge  of  592  idle  days  in  this  port.  This  was  the  British 
ship  Merioneth.  Thirteen  of  the  fleet  were  in  this  port  over 
100  days,  twelve  over  80  days,  but  less  than  100 ;  thirty-one 
from  60  to  79  days,  and  thirty-two  from  59  to  39  days.  The 
British  steamer  Missouri  went  out  with  cargo  23  days  from 
her  arrival. 

Ballast  Ships  In  and  Out. 

The  tonnage  of  a  port  is  a  good  index  of  the  volume  of 
its  commerce.  Vessels  do  not  come  and  go  from  port  to 
port  in  ballast  just  for  the  fun  of  the  thing,  unless  as  under 
the  French  subsidy  system  they  earn  an  income  from  mileage 
covered  whether  Avith  or  without  cargo. 

'  In  proportion  to  the  number  of  arrivals  from  distant 
ports  probably  no  American  port  reports  so  few  in  ballast 
seeking  charters  as  San  Francisco. 

When  ballast  ships  go  from  port  to  port  hunting  cargoes, 
the  ship  owner  has  the  worst  of  it,  but  when  a  port  has 
received  a  cargo  of  needed  supplies,  and  is  unable  to  give 
the  vessel  an  outward  cargo,  the  reflection  is  on  the  port. 

When  a  port  offers  sufficient  inducement  for  ships  to 
make  long  voyages  in  ballast,  in  order  to  get  cargoes,  the 
port  attains  high  credit  among  shipowners. 

San  Francisco  has  repeatedly  been  accorded  that  repu- 
tation, and  most  of  the  ballast  ships  to  enter  the  Golden 
Gate  have  come  in  response  to  good  freight  rates  outward. 

A  notable  instance  of  this  kind  occurred  in  the  closing 


172  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

months  of  1896,  owing  to  the  urgent  demand  for  vessels  to 
load  grain  here  and  at  ports  in  Oregon  and  Washington. 

The  first  of  these  ballast  ships  came  to  hand  in  July, 
when  two  tramp  steamers  from  Japan,  chartered  prior  to 
arrival  at  30s,  took  out  cargoes  of  grain. 

There  were  no  further  arrivals  of  the  kind  until  Septem- 
ber, when  six  ballast  ships  came  into  port,  followed  by 
twelve  more  in  October  and  a  still  larger  number  in  Novem- 
ber and  December. 

During  the  year  1896,  there  were  646  arrivals  at  San 
Francisco  from  domestic  Atlantic  and  foreign  supply  ports, 
exclusive  of  regular  steam  lines,  representing  817,900  tons 
of  registered  tonnage,  an  increase  of  130,800  tons  over  1895. 

Most  of  this  increase  was  ballast  tonnage,  including  many 
tramp  steamers,  and  most  of  it  was  chartered  to  arrive  at 
rates  varying  from  25s  to  31s  6d. 

Ballast  tonnage  that  arrives  under  promise  of  an  outward 
cargo  is  quite  different  from  ballast  tonnage  that  comes 
seeking. 

It  was  the  satisfactory  freight  rates  that  led  these 
ballast  ships  to  this  port  in  1896. 

There  were  50  wheat  charters  reported  at  this  port  in 
September,  1896,  the  largest  number  for  any  month  in  two 
years. 

There  were  69  more  in  October,  56  in  November  and  26 
in  December. 

Some  of  these  vessels  were  for  Portland  and  Tacoma 
loading. 

In  subsequent  years,  several  ballast  ships  have  arrived, 
particularly  in  1902,  but  generally  under  the  same  condi- 
tions as  in  1896. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  most  notable  instances  of  vessels 
leaving  San  Francisco  in  ballast  because  of  failure  to  secure 
cargo  was  in  1903. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  173 

That  was  a  yery  hard  year  for  owners  of  ships,  and  in 
the  fall  15  vessels  of  28,000  tons  of  registered  tonnage  left 
this  port  in  ballast  for  Australia  to  take  cargoes  of  wool 
and  ores  to  Europe. 

As  12  of  these  ships,  registering  22,000  tons,  were  under 
the  French  flag,  they  received  the  same  subsidy  in  ballast 
as  they  would  have  been  paid  if  they  had  left  with  cargoes. 
Occasionally  a  vessel  under  the  French  flag  has  nearly  cir- 
cled the  world  in  ballast. 

Sources  of  Sail  Tonnage. 

San  Francisco  has  drawn  most  of  its  sail  tonnage  directly 
or  indirectly  from  domestic  Atlantic  ports  and  Europe.  Of 
late  years  steamers  have  cut  out  domestic  Atlantic  ports. 

The  sail  tonnage  from  Europe  has  been  one-third  larger 
than  from  any  other  source,  while  the  sail  tonnage  from 
Australasia  has  been  two-thirds  as  large  as  that  from 
Europe. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  nearly  all  the  sail  tonnage  in  the 
foreign  trade  has  come  from  Europe  directly  or  by  way  of 
Australasia,  South  America  and  the  Orient. 

Cargoes  have  been  made  up  in  Europe  for  either  one  of 
these  markets,  and  after  discharging,  have  picked  up  other 
cargoes  before  proceeding  to  San  Francisco. 

This  has  been  a  most  fortunate  arrangement  for  Cali- 
fornia shippers.  If  no  other  freight  was  offering  for  San 
Francisco,  the  vessels  could  always  get  a  cargo  of  coal,  and 
that  sort  of  cargo  has  always  been  acceptable,  because  of 
the  limited  home  supply. 

Some  Valuable  Cargoes. 

As  wheat  was  for  many  years  the  leading  export  staple, 
it  was  rare  that  a  cargo  exceeding  $100,000  left  this  port. 
When  general  merchandise  began  to  form  a  part  of  the 


174  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

freight  of  outward  bound  vessels,  cargo  values  began  to 
mount  up. 

Up  to  1875  there  had  not  been  a  cargo  cleared  for  Europe 
to  the  value  of  $200,000,  but  from  that  year  to  the  close  of 
1895,  there  were  sixty-five  cargoes  cleared  in  excess  of 
$200,000. 

The  most  valuable  cargo  in  this  list  was  by  the  steamer 
St.  Paul,  which  took  a  cargo  of  seal  skins  for  London  via 
Panama,  valued  at  $530,000.  Since  then  this  freight  has 
gone  by  rail. 

The  most  valuable  cargo  direct  during  the  above  interval 
was  by  the  Breidablik,  which  left  September  22,  1891.  This 
cargo  included  37,458  cs.  canned  salmon,  41,400  cs.  canned 
fruit,  860  tons  grain  and  other  freight  valued  at  $436,700. 

The  only  other  cargo  in  excess  of  $400,000  was  by  the 
Wasdale  in  September,  1888,  which  was  valued  at  $427,900, 
including  60,110  cs.  canned  salmon  valued  at  $347,870,  the 
largest  of  the  kind  up  to  that  time. 

There  were  eleven  other  cargoes  valued  at  over  $300,000 
and  fifty-one  over  $200,000.  Cargoes  of  over  $200,000  for 
Europe  have  followed  in  the  fall  months  of  every  subsequent 
year. 

There  were  nine  of  such  cargoes  in  the  last  four  months 
of  1902.  One  of  these  by  the  Osborne  was  valued  at  $443,500. 
There  were  three  others  over  $340,000  to  $380,000. 

Twelve  more  followed  for  account  of  1893.  Two  of  these 
cargoes  were  in  excess  of  $400,000  and  one  by  the  Balasore 
was  manifested  at  $522,400. 

In  1904,  there  were  eleven  more  of  these  large  cargoes, 
varying  from  $214,500  to  $375,900,  and  aggregating  $3,335,- 
500  in  four  months. 

Business  fell  off  some  in  1905,  reducing  the  cargoes  in 
excess  of  $200,000  to  eight,  four  of  which  were  in  excess 
of  $300,000,  while  the  total  for  all  was  $2,432,000. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  175 

In  each  of  the  following  two  years  only  three  cargoes  of 
the  kind  were  cleared,  varying  from  $259,500  to  $472,000. 

In  1908,  there  were  ten  of  these  cargoes  from  $205,500 
to  $483,100,  and  in  the  following  year  eight,  varying  from 
$339,400  to  $459,500. 

The  six  clearings  in  1910  included  five  steamers  with  car- 
goes of  $207,100  to  $811,300.  The  cargo  by  sail  was  valued 
at  $258,700. 

From  $200,000  cargoes  to  Europe  in  1875  to  cargoes  in 
excess  of  $800,000  in  1910  is  something  of  a  jump,  due  of 
course  to  larger  carriers  for  the  most  part,  though  higher 
prices  may  have  been  a  small  factor. 

A  still  greater  difference  during  the  same  interval  has 
been  observed  in  other  sources  of  exports,  notably  with 
domestic  Atlantic  and  Oriental  ports. 

Prior  to  1875,  there  were  some  cargoes  of  $200,000  and 
upwards  on  both  of  the  above  routes. 

As  early  as  1869,  there  were  seven  cargoes  to  New  York 
and  vicinity  manifested  at  upwards  of  $200,000,  both  by 
steamers  via  Panama  and  sail  vessels  via  Cape  Horn. 

Since  sail  vessels  for  New  York  were  crowded  out  by 
steamers,  several  of  the  latter  have  taken  cargoes  of  one 
million  dollars  and  upwards. 

The  most  valuable  cargo  of  merchandise  hence  to  the 
Orient  in  1869,  two  years  after  the  inauguration  of  steamer 
service,  was  manifested  at  $105,000.  Since  1903,  several 
steamers  for  the  Orient  have  taken  cargoes  of  produce  valued 
at  one  million  dollars  and  upwards. 

Clipper  Ships — Fast  Time. 

Owing  to  the  urgent  demand  at  San  Francisco  in  1849 
and  for  some  years  later  for  supplies  of  all  kinds  from 
domestic  Atlantic  ports,  the  fastest  sailing  ships  were  called 
into  requisition  for  the  service.     The  clipper  ships  built  for 


176  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  —  Past  and  Future 

the  China  tea  trade  via  Cape  of  Good  Hope  were  heavily 
drawn  upon  for  this  purpose,  and  Eastern  shipyards  at  once 
became  unusually  active  in  building  ships  of  the  extreme 
clipper  type. 

As  the  result  of  the  introduction  of  these  vessels  in  this 
trade,  some  very  fast  passages  were  made  in  the  early  years. 

The  best  trip  between  New  York  and  San  Francisco  in 
1853  was  ma:de  by  the  ship  Flying  Fish  in  92  days.  This 
vessel  made  the  same  trip  in  98  days  in  1852  and  113  days 
in  1854,  or  an  average  of  101  days  for  the  three  trips.  She 
made  seven  trips  in  all  before  retiring  from  the  service,  the 
average  of  which  was  a  fraction  less  than  106  days.  She  was 
known  as  a  90  day  ship. 

The  ship  Flying  Cloud  made  the  trip  in  89  days  in 
1851,  and  90  days  in  1854.  Her  average  for  the  first  five 
trips  was  101  days  and  7  hours. 

The  Andrew  Jackson  made  the  trip  in  100  days  in  1858, 
and  in  102  and  90  days  in  the  following  two  years,  equal  to 
an  average  of  97  days  for  the  three  trips.  Her  average  for 
seven  consecutive  voyages  was  1051/^  days,  and  she  was  only 
a  half  clipper. 

There  were  many  other  fast  ships  in  that  first  decade, 
including  the  Swordfish,  Romance  of  the  Seas,  Westward  Ho, 
Sea  Witch,  Sierra  Nevada,  Sweepstakes,  Great  Republic, 
Surprise,  Twilight,  David  Crockett,  Young  America,  Phan- 
tom, Panama,  Sea  Serpent,  etc. 

The  Panama  made  the  trip  from  San  Francisco  to  Liver- 
pool in  1851  in  86  days  and  17  hours,  the  best  on  record  up 
to  that  time. 

The  Young  America  made  one  trip  inside  of  100  days, 
three  of  109  days  each,  and  twenty  that  averaged  117% 
days. 

The  David  Crockett  made  three  trips  that  averaged  108 
days,  and  twenty  that  were  under  115  days. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  177 

In  1863,  the  big  ship  Great  Republic,  3,357  tons,  made  the 
trip  in  102  days:  This  was  the  largest  sail  vessel  in  the  arri- 
vals for  that  year. 

Arrivals  Announced. 

There  were  means  for  conveying  information  before  the 
wireless,  or  the  telephone  or  the  telegraph  had  come  into  use. 

In  1849,  it  was  desirable  to  know  the  arrival  and  charac- 
ter of  the  vessels  coming  in  from  the  sea.  A  good  view  of 
the  entrance  to  the  harbor  was  obtainable  from  Telegraph 
Hill,  and  that  was  visible  to  all  the  people. 

A  pole  on  the  hill  with  arms  to  support  signals  met  the 
wants  of  the  pioneers. 

These  signals  indicated  not  only  the  approach  of  every 
vessel  that  was  seeking  an  entrance  to  the  harbor,  but  its 
character  as  well. 

There  were  signals  for  steamers,  and  whether  it  was  a 
propeller  or  a  side-wheeler. 

There  were  also  signals  for  sailing  vessels,  and  whether 
it  was  a  ship,  bark,  brig  or  schooner. 

The  signal  station  was  watched  closely  and  persistently, 
and  the  arrival  of  a  vessel  was  a  great  event,  drawing  crowds 
to  the  anchorage  ground,  which  was  generally  near  the 
northeastern  base  of  Telegraph  Hill. 

Steamer  Day. 

San  Francisco  merchants  inaugurated  their  business  oper- 
ations as  nearly  as  possible  on  the  principle  of  pay  as  you  go. 

Remittances  on  Eastern  and  foreign  account  were  chiefly 
made  in  1849  and  for  some  years  afterwards  by  the  Panama 
steamers. 

At  first  this  service  was  monthly,  then  semi-monthly,  tri- 
monthly  and  finally  weekly. 

Mercantile  collections  were  made  on  the  day  preceding 


178  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

the  departure  of  the  steamer  and  steamer  day  was  the  syno- 
nym for  collection. 

Upon  the  completion  of  the  first  through  railway  to 
New  York  and  also  at  some  other  times,  attempts  were  made 
to  abolish  steamer  day  and  introduce  the  note  system.  There 
was  no  objection  to  the  note  system,  but  there  was  decided 
objection  to  giving  up  at  least  two  fixed  days  in  every  month 
for  making  collections.     This  is  still  the  practice. 

The  short  credit  system  has  raised  the  standard  of  credit, 
and  prevented  many  unpleasant  business  embarrassments. 

Merchants  Exchange. 

The  business  of  announcing  marine  arrivals  by  crude 
signals  from  Telegraph  Hill  was  subsequently  followed  by 
establishing  a  look-out  station  at  Point  Lobos  at  the  entrance 
to  the  harbor,  with  men  and  marine  glasses  to  descry  vessels 
miles  away,  and  report  their  approach  to  a  station  in  the 
central  part  of  the  business  district.  R.  S.  Martin  &  Son 
conducted  this  service  in  1857. 

In  1860,  and  for  several  years  afterwards,  the  business 
of  gathering  and  disseminating  marine  intelligence  in  San 
Francisco  was  under  the  control  of  Sweeney  &  Baugh  on 
Clay  street,  between  Sansome  and  Montgomery. 

The  business  was  removed  a  few  years  later  to  the  large 
building  on  the  east  side  of  Battery  street,  extending  from 
Washington  to  Oregon  street.  This  building  was  erected  in 
1854  of  brick,  covered  with  stucco. 

In  1866,  the  interior  was  remodeled  and  a  large  space  in 
the  center  was  especially  fitted  up  for  Sweeney  &  Baugh 
as  a  marine  exchange.  By  removing  one  of  the  floors,  this 
made  a  fine  office  for  the  business  for  which  it  was  intended. 

Some  parties  were  dissatisfied  with  this  move.  They 
wanted  something  on  a  grander  scale,  and  that  would  be 
more  of  a  center  for  general  business  purposes. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  179 

A  large  lot  on  the  southwest  corner  of  Liedesdorf  and 
California  streets  was  secured  for  that  purpose  at  a  cost  of 
$150,000,  and  a  three-story  brick  building  with  high  base- 
ment was  erected  thereon  at  a  cost  of  another  $150,000. 

These  improvements  were  financed  by  a  joint  stock  cor- 
poration formed  for  that  purpose  in  1866.  When  this  build- 
ing was  formally  opened,  there  was  a  large  room  fitted  up 
with  the  most  modern  and  extensive  appliances  for  receiving 
and  recording  marine,  commercial  and  financial  intelligence 
from  all  parts  of  the  world. 

In  1903,  this  building  was  removed,  additional  ground 
secured  and  the  present  14-story  steel  structure  was  erected. 
This  is  one  of  the  tall  buildings  that  withstood  the  big  fire 
and  earthquake  of  1906. 

It  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  finest  buildings  in  the  city, 
and  serves  acceptably  the  purposes  for  which  it  was  erected. 

Chamber  of  Commerce. 

The  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  San  Francisco  is  the  oldest 
commercial  organization  in  the  city,  having  been  formed  in 
1851.  From  a  membership  of  65  in  1854,  the  roll  has  been 
expanded  to  722  in  1911,  the  largest  total  ever  reported. 

Following  is  a  list  of  its  presidents  in  the  order  of  their 
service:  Beverly  C.  Sanders,  D.  L.  Ross,  J.  B.  Thomas, 
George  H.  Kellogg,  James  De  Fremery,  J.  A.  Donohoe, 
R.  G.  Sneath,  James  Otis,  R.  B.  Swain,  C.  Adolphe  Low, 
William  T.  Coleman,  William  F.  Babcock,  Isaac  Friedlander, 
James  C.  Patrick,  George  C.  Perkins,  Horace  Davis,  Henry 
L.  Dodge,  William  L.  Merry,  Ira  P.  Rankin,  C.  L.  Taylor, 
E.  B.  Pond,  W.  H.  Dimond,  Hugh  Craig,  Charles  Nelson, 
George  A.  Newhall,  W.  H.  Marston,  C.  H.  Bentley,  Charles 
C.  Moore,  James  McNab,  William  L.  Gerstle,  William  Matson. 

George  A.  Newhall  held  the  office  for  five  consecutive 
years.    William  F.  Babcock  served  as  president  for  five  years, 


180  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

first  for  two  years,  and  afterwards  for  three  years;  Hugh 
Craig  for  three  years,  and  fourteen  others  for  two  years. 
Mr.  Perkins  was  subsequently  Govenor  of  the  State,  and  later 
on  United  States  Senator  from  California,  a  position  he  still 
holds.  Horace  Davis  was  a  member  of  Congress  from  this 
district,  and  James  Otis  and  E.  B.  Pond  served  as  Mayors  of 
San  Francisco. 

Other  commercial  organizations  for  the  public  good  have 
since  been  formed,  and  each  in  its  special  department  has 
been  rendering  good  services.  These  are  the  Merchants 
Exchange,  formed  in  1866,  the  Merchants  Association,  formed 
in  1894,  and  the  Down  Town  Association,  formed  soon  after 
the  great  disaster  of  1906. 

There  has  been  a  desire  for  some  time  to  bring  these 
organizations  under  one  head,  and  this  has  recently  been 
accomplished. 

The  new  corporation  takes  the  name  of  the  pioneer  organ- 
ization by  simply  transposing  the  words  San  Francisco  from 
the  end  to  the  front,  which  will  hereafter  read  The  San 
Francisco  Chamber  of  Commerce. 

The  memberships  in  the  four  corporations  thus  merged 
are  being  transferred  to  the  roll  of  the  new  corporation  as 
fast  as  possible,  and  it  is  expected  that  this  will  be  com- 
pleted and  the  new  organization  will  assume  full  control  in 
October,  1911.  Directors  to  serve  until  the  first  annual  meet- 
ing are  W.  M.  Alexander,  H.  H.  Allen,  Frank  B.  Anderson, 
George  C.  Boardman,  Paul  T.  Carroll,  A.  B.  C.  Dohrmann, 
Robert  Dollar,  John  S.  Drum,  W.  J.  Dutton,  M.  H.  Esberg, 
James  Tyson,  William  Matson,  J.  K.  Moffitt,  Henry  D. 
Nichols,  M.  H.  Bobbins,  Jr.,  George  M.  Rolph,  Robert  A. 
Roos,  A.  L.  Scott,  William  T.  Sesnon,  Joseph  Sloss,  Frank  A. 
Somers.  Mr.  Robbins  was  chosen  president  of  the  Board. 
Headquarters,  Merchants  Exchange. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  181 

'   Shipbuilding  in  California. 

Some  small  vessels  were  built  bere  as  early  as  1849.  Tbe 
first  paddle-wheel  steamer  to  stir  the  waters  of  the  bay  was 
the  Sitka,  built  in  Alaska  in  1847. 

For  the  first  twenty  years  after  the  discovery  of  gold  in 
the  State,  scores  of  bay  steamers  and  coasting  schooners  were 
built  here  for  the  Pacific  trade. 

During  that  interval  there  was  little  need  for  the  con- 
struction of  the  larger  sized  sailing  vessels,  because  of  the 
plentiful  supply  of  Eastern  built  brigs,  barks  and  ships  lying 
idle  in  the  harbor,  and  which  could  be  bought  at  a  great 
advantage  over  the  cost  of  building.  Hence  the  coast  fleet 
was  largely  made  up  of  Eastern  built  vessels,  and  for  years 
afterwards  was  replenished  from  the  same  source. 

There  were  57  small  vessels  of  an  aggregate  of  7,000  tons 
built  in  San  Francisco  in  1868.  In  1869,  there  were  92  of 
11,600  tons;  in  1870,  there  were  37  of  3,000  tons,  and  in  1871, 
there  were  16  of  2,500  tons.  Some  of  these  were  built  on 
this  side  of  the  bay  and  some  on  the  other  side.  In  addition, 
quite  a  number  were  built  in  the  same  interval  at  coast  ports. 

The  first  ocean  steamship  ever  built  entire  on  the  Pacific 
Coast  was  the  Del  Norte  in  1865.  This  was  a  wooden  side- 
wheeler  with  a  keel  of  187  feet  and  a  beam  of  30.  She  was 
built  for  the  Holladay  line  in  the  shipyard  of  Henry  Owens 
at  the  Potrero. 

The  largest  wooden  steamer  built  for  the  ocean  trade 
was  the  Mexico  in  1882,  at  the  yard  of  Dickie  Bros.  This 
was  a  propeller  of  1,340  tons,  280  feet  on  the  water  line  and 
36  foot  beam.  She  cost  $250,000,  and  did  good  service  in  the 
Mexican  and  northern  coast  trade. 

The  first  steel  steamer  was  the  Arago,  827  tons  and  200 
feet  long,  built  at  the  Union  Iron  Works  in  1885.  The  Fulton 
Iron  Works  claim  to  have  built  a  small  iron  steamer  at  an 
earlier  date.    The  Arago  went  into  the  northern  coast  trade. 


182  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

A  special  feature  in  shipbuilding  in  San  Francisco  was 
the  construction  of  several  steamers  for  the  whaling  business. 

In  1884,  the  catch  of  the  six  steamers  built  and  equipped 
in  San  Francisco  was  greater  than  that  of  the  entire  New 
Bedford  fleet  of  20  vessels,  including  two  steamers.  In  later 
years  San  Francisco  had  nearly  a  score  of  steamers  in  the 
whaling  service. 

In  the  last  quarter  of  a  century,  about  700  vessels  of  all 
sizes  and  for  all  purpose  have  been  built  in  California,  includ- 
ing about  400  steamers.  The  sail  craft  includes  no  rig  above 
a  bark,  and  most  of  the  steamers  have  been  schooner  rigged. 

All  the  California  steel  steamers  have  been  the  product 
of  the  same  interval. 

The  most  prominent  of  these  are  the  Alaskan,  Arizonian, 
Californian,  Columbian,  Isthmian  and  Mexican  for  the  Ameri- 
can-Hawaiian Company,  the  Peru  for  the  Pacific  Mail  (1873), 
and  the  Senator  and  Spokane  for  the  Pacific  Coast  Company. 
The  latest  is  the  Kilaua  for  the  Hawaiian  Islands. 

These  were  all  built  at  the  Union  Iron  Works,  which  in 
the  same  interval  has  turned  out  over  20  vessels  of  various 
types  for  the  United  States  Navy.  The  first  of  these  was  the 
protected  cruiser  Charleston,  4,000  tons,  lost  on  the  north 
coast  of  Luzon,  P.  L,  in  November,  1899,  and  the  last  cruiser 
was  the  Milwaukee  in  1904. 

The  total  list  includes  5  protected  cruisers,  2  armored 
cruisers,  1  armoured  monitor,  3  armored  battleships,  1  harbor 
defense  monitor,  and  8  of  minor  descriptions.  The  armored 
monitor  Monterey  was  sent  to  Manila.  The  Olympia  and 
Oregon  performed  distinguished  service  in  the  Spanish- 
American  War. 

The  Chitose  in  the  Japanese  Navy  was  built  at  the  Union 
Iron  Works. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  183 

The  Bay  and  Water  Front. 

San  Francisco  is  proud  of  its  bay,  and  well  it  may  be,  for 
a  duplicate  of  its  excellent  features  does  not  exist  in  any 
part  of  the  world.  It  is  both  land  locked  and  deep.  In 
actual  water  surface,  two  South  American  ports  may  surpass 
it,  though  water  surface  merely  does  not  count. 

The  Bay  of  San  Francisco  is  450  square  miles  in  extent, 
and  the  area  for  vessels  drawing  deep  water  is  nearly  125 
square  miles  larger  than  any  other  land-locked  port. 

From  its  earliest  discovery  it  has  won  the  praise  of  the 
best  informed  who  have  seen  it. 

Lieutenant  Ayala,  one  of  the  first  to  enter  it  in  command 
of  a  vessel,  after  surveying  it  in  1775,  said  it  was  "a  collec- 
tion of  harbors  in  which  all  the  navies  of  Spain  could  hide 
from  one  another." 

Benjamin  Morrell,  in  command  of  a  vessel  that  entered 
the  harbor  in  1825,  said :  "It  presents  a  broad  sheet  of  water 
of  sufficient  extent  to  float  all  the  British  Navy  without 
crowding. "         ' 

Richard  H.  Dana,  who  was  here  as  a  sailor  in  1835,  was 
of  the  opinion  that  ''if  California  ever  becomes  a  prosperous 
country,  this  bay  will  be  the  center  of  its  prosperity. ' ' 

The  first  thing  needed  to  make  the  bay  of  service  to  those 
living  on  the  shores  was  to  provide  landings  where  freight 
and  passengers  might  be  conveniently  placed  ashore. 

In  the  spring  of  1849,  the  vessels  arriving  from  the  outside 
were  obliged  to  send  passengers  and  freight  to  land  in  small 
boats,  which  was  slow  and  expensive  work,  as  stevedores 
received  from  $8  to  $16  per  day  for  lightering  cargo. 

The  first  wharf  built  was  at  the  intersection  of  Commer- 
cial street  with  the  bay.  This  was  soon  found  to  be  quite 
inadequate  to  the  demands  upon  it,  and  it  was  subsequently 
lengthened  to  800  feet,  and  for  years  afterwards  the  struc- 
ture was  known  as  Long  Wharf. 


184  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

Subsequently  other  piers  were  built  at  the  intersection  of 
other  streets  with  the  bay,  both  north  and  south  of  Commer- 
cial street. 

It  was  many  years  afterwards  before  any  of  these  piers 
had  a  shed  covering  to  protect  cargoes  in  process  of  loading 
or  unloading. 

Long  Wharf  had  been  a  profitable  investment  from  the 
start,  and  even  in  its  lengthened  form  was  insufficient  for  the 
needs  of  the  growing  commerce  of  the  port. 

Wharf  franchises  soon  became  in  active  demand.  In 
October,  1850,  Market  street  wharf  extended  out  from  the 
shore  line  600  feet  into  the  bay;  California  street,  400;  Sac- 
ramento, 800;  Clay,  900;  Washington,  250;  Jackson,  552; 
Pacific,  525,  and  Broadway,  250  feet. 

There  were  also  several  private  wharves  along  the  water 
front  named  after  individual  owners,  aggregating  a  length 
of  1,500  feet. 

In  all  there  was  6,000  feet  of  wharf  space,  built  at  a  cost 
of  about  a  million  dollars. 

The  building  of  these  piers  was  followed  by  graders  at 
the  land  end.  Captain  Folsom  started  in  to  make  land  on 
California  street,  just  west  of  the  present  site  of  the  Bank 
of  California  National  Association  at  California  and  San- 
some  streets. 

Expensive  as  that  kind  of  work  was  at  the  time,  the 
experiment  was  found  to  be  a  good  investment,  and  others 
took  up  the  improvements. 

In  this  way  some  old  hulks  were  enclosed  in  the  new 
made  land.  One  of  these  was  the  Niantic,  450  tons  register, 
at  Clay  and  Sansome.  This  hulk  became  the  foundation  of 
the  Niantic  Hotel. 

When  that  wooden  structure  was  razed  to  make  room  for 
the  erection  of  a  brick  building,  the  excavators  dug  into  the 
hulk  of  the  old  Niantic,  and  discovered  various  articles  of 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  185 

merchandise,  including  several  dozen  bottles  of  champagne 
which  had  been  buried  for  twenty-one  years. 

The  most  northerly  of  these  wharves  was  at  the  inter- 
section of  Powell  street  with  the  bay.  This  was  known  as 
Meiggs  Wharf  and  was  built  in  1854  by  Harry  Meiggs  for 
lumber  in  connection  with  a  planing  and  saw  mill.  In  Octo- 
ber, 1854,  Mr.  Meiggs  took  a  sudden  departure,  turning  up 
later  in  South  America  to  the  regret  of  many  creditors. 

Increased  grain  crops  found  the  wharf  room  entirely 
inadequate  in  the  busy  season.  To  remedy  this  condition,  the 
building  of  a  seawall  was  undertaken  on  the  northern  base  of 
Telegraph  Hill,  so  that  ships  could  come  alongside  to  dis- 
charge or  receive  cargo  with  plenty  of  wharf  room  inside  of 
the  wall,  in  connection  with  warehouses  for  the  storage  of 
grain  and  merchandise. 

The  first  contract  for  this  seawall  was  let  in  1867  at 
the  rate  of  $278  per  lineal  foot,  or  at  the  rate  of  $1,500,000 
per  mile.  This  was  of  course  slow  work,  and  before  the 
first  section  of  that  improvement  became  available,  the  ex- 
pense and  difficillty  of  loading  grain  ships  as  rapidly  as  de- 
sired compelled  shippers  to  seek  additional  facilities  else- 
where. 

In  1869,  there  were  25  vessels  loaded  at  Vallejo.  These 
vessels  carried  773,550  ctls.  wheat,  of  which  148,400  ctls  were 
taken  on  at  San  Francisco  for  stiffening  and  the  remainder 
at  Vallejo. 

Oakland  mole  furnished  wharf  room  for  some  wheat 
vessels  for  two  or  more  years,  in  addition  to  Vallejo. 

Heavy  tonnage  dues,  in  addition  to  other  handicaps,  at 
last  compelled  grain  shippers  to  seek  better  and  more  per- 
manent facilities.  Port  Costa,  just  opposite  Vallejo,  was 
selected  for  the  purpose.  This  point  made  it  possible  for 
the  cars  and  the  ships  to  come  close  together.  Large  ware- 
houses were  erected,  and  a  considerable  percentage  of  the 
grain  fleet  has  since  been  loaded  there. 


186  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

The  following  extract  from  the  last  biennial  report  of  the 
Board  of  State  Harbor  Commissioners  for  June  30,  1910, 
states  that  the  water  front  line  under  their  jurisdiction  in 
San  Francisco  is  about  eight  miles. 

At  that  time  there  were  11,700  feet  of  completed  seawall 
beginning  at  the  northwesterly  end  of  their  jurisdiction,  with 
30  piers  and  23  seawall  lots,  which  lots,  together  with  the 
land  owned  by  the  State  around  Central  Basin,  have  a  total 
area  of  1,104,275  square  feet,  or  over  25  acres. 

The  piers  and  bulkhead  wharves  at  the  close  of  that  fiscal 
year  represented  about  five  miles  of  berth  space. 

When  the  water  front  is  extended  its  entire  length,  with 
piers  210  feet  wide  and  800  feet  long,  having  a  water  space 
of  250  feet  between,  the  entire  length  of  the  contour  of  the 
piers  and  bulkheads  will  be  193,640  feet,  or  over  36  miles. 

If  the  piers  were  140  feet  wide  and  the  space  between 
220  feet,  the  contour  would  be  235,200  feet,  or  441/2  miles. 

This  would  give  94  of  the  larger  piers  and  120  of  the 
smaller  piers. 

Solid  Rock  Docks. 

Admirable  facilities  for  the  docking  of  vessels  for  repairs 
were  provided  at  an  early  date,  first  in  the  form  of  floating 
docks,  of  which  three  were  constructed  capable  of  lifting 
3,000  tons. 

In  1867,  the  San  Francisco  Dock  Company  constructed  a 
graving  dock  at  Hunter's  Point.  Unlike  such  docks  at  other 
ports,  this  one  was  cut  out  of  solid  rock.  It  is  493  feet  long, 
164  feet  wide  on  the  blocks  and  24  feet  deep  over  the  sill. 
This  unique  dock  has  been  visited  by  thousands,  and  elicited 
praise  from  all. 

Later,  when  steamers  began  to  be  built  of  additional 
length,  it  was  deemed  advisable  to  construct  another  and 
larger  dock  in  the  same  vicinity. 

This  was  completed  in  1903.    It  is  750  feet  long,  122  feet 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  187 

at  the  coping,  80  feet  wide  on  the  blocks,  and  30  feet  deep 
over  the  sill.  At  that  time  these  dimensions  were  sufficient 
for  the  largest  steamers  in  the  world.  Since  then  some 
steamers  have  been  built  of  790  feet  and  upwards,  but  they 
are  not  in  Pacific  water,  and  two  in  1911  of  860  feet. 

This  second  dock,  like  the  first,  is  cut  out  of  the  solid 
rock,  and  San  Francisco  has  therefore  two  of  the  most  unique 
docks  in  the  world. 

Ocean  Tonnage  Arrivals  1848-1911. 

Esewhere  will  be  found  a  tabular  statement  of  the  deep- 
water  tonnage  arrivals  at  San  Francisco  from  1848  to  1911, 
both  years  inclusive. 

As  there  were  no  records  kept  prior  to  1848,  it  was 
deemed  impracticable  to  extend  the  information  beyond  that 
year.  It  is  known  that  vessels  did  visit  this  port  at  a  much 
earlier  date.  These  arrivals  were  few  and  far  between,  and 
of  no  particular  significance.  The  brig  Pilgrim  from  Boston 
was  here  in  1835  gathering  up  a  few  hides.  Another  small 
vessel  came  intoport  before  she  left. 

Some  Arctic  whalers  were  also  among  the  arrivals  prior 
to  1848. 

Owing  to  the  imperfect  records  kept  from  1848  to  1856, 
in  connection  with  the  loss  by  fire  in  1851  of  the  Customs 
House  records,  the  totals  for  some  of  the  early  years  are 
from  the  best  information  obtainable. 

As  a  whole,  the  tabulated  statement  is  approximately  cor- 
rect, and  is  probably  the  first  and  most  extensive  ever  made. 
It  is  worth  preserving  on  that  account. 

Panama  Canal. 

The  dream  of  a  former  century  of  a  canal  across  the  Isth- 
mus of  Darien,  through  which  the  largest  vessels  afloat  might 
pass  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  is  soon  to  be 
realized,  by  1915  and  perhaps  much  earlier. 


188  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

When  the  first  vessel  passes  through  that  canal  many 
millions  of  people  will  read  the  report  with  exclamations  of 
wonder  over  the  event.  In  the  very  next  breath  they  will 
wonder  that  this  event  was  so  long  delayed. 

Perhaps  it  was  well  that  much  time  and  consideration 
should  have  been  given  to  an  enterprise  of  such  importance 
and  cost. 

There  were  two  routes  from  which  to  choose  as  well  as 
two  kinds  of  canal.  For  a  long  time  the  Nicaraguan  route 
seemed  to  have  the  lead.  After  that  route  had  been  elim- 
inated in  favor  of  Panama,  further  time  was  required  to  settle 
the  question  of  sea  level  or  lock  canal. 

Work  on  the  Panama  Canal  began  in  May,  1904.     Final 
approval  of  a  lock  canal  was  not  settled  until  June  21,  1906, 
and  then  by  a  vote  of  36  to  31,  the  vote  in  the  House  a  week  • 
before  having  been  110  to  36. 

The  Government  paid  $40,000,000  to  the  New  French 
Canal  Company  for  property  and  franchises  and  $10,000,000 
to  the  Republic  of  Panama  for  a  strip  of  land  on  either  side 
of  the  canal. 

Exclusive  of  the  above  $50,000,000,  the  cost  of  the  enter- 
prise will  approximate  $360,000,000. 

Under  the  acts  of  June  28,  1902,  and  December  21,  1905, 
for  account  of  the  Panama  Canal,  the  Government  issued 
$54,631,980  in  2  per  cent  bonds  in  1906,  and  two  years  later 
there  was  a  further  issue  of  $30,000,000.  The  first  issue  is 
redeemable  after  August  1,  1916,  and  the  second  after  Novem- 
ber 1,  1918. 

A  further  issue  of  $30,000,000  Panama  Canal  bonds  to  bear 
interest  at  3  per  cent,  but  not  to  be  available  for  bank  note 
circulation,  was  issued  in  July,  1911,  redeemable  June  1, 1961. 

The  summit  level  of  the  canal  is  to  be  85  feet  above  the 
sea  level,  to  be  reached  by  a  flight  of  three  locks  located  at 
Gatun  on  the  Atlantic  side,  one  lock  at  Pedro  Miguel,  and  a 


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Merchants'    Exchange. 

Home    of   the    San    Francisco   Chamber   of   Commerce.    Successor   to 

Chamber    of    Commerce    of    San    Francisco,    the    Merchants' 

Exchange,    the    Merchants'    Association,    and    the    Down 

Town  Association. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  189 

flight  of  two  at  Miraflores  on  the  Pacific  side,  all  to  be  in 
duplicate — that  is,  to  have  two  chambers  side  by  side. 

Each  lock  will  have  a  usable  length  of  1,000  feet  and  a 
width  of  110  feet. 

The  summit  level  is  31  miles  in  length,  and  the  water  in 
that  level  will  be  made  to  average  85  feet  above  the  sea  level. 

Measured  from  deep  water  in  the  Caribbean  Sea  to  deep 
water  in  the  Pacific  Ocean  the  canal  will  be  50  miles  long. 
Excluding  the  deep  water  measurements  on  either  side,  the 
canal  will  be  401/2  miles  from  shore  to  shore. 

The  width  of  the  approaches  to  the  shore  line  on  either 
side  will  be  500  feet.  The  width  of  the  intermediate  space 
varies  from  300  to  1,000  feet.  The  average  bottom  width  of 
the  channels  is  649  feet  and  the  minimum  300  feet.  The  canal 
will  have  a  minimum  depth  of  41  feet. 

Vessels  will  be  able  to  pass  through  the  entire  length 
of  the  canal  in  9%  to  11  hours,  according  to  size. 

The  Isthmus  Canal  Commission  owns  the  railway  across 
the  Isthmus  with  all  the  property  and  franchises  appertain- 
ing to  the  same,  and  the  steamers  that  ply  between  Colon 
and  New  York. 

The  commission  has  about  45,000  employes  on  its  roll, 
including  5.000  Americans.  Of  the  total,  5,900  employes  are 
on  the  railroad.  About  4,500  of  the  whole  number  are  on 
the  gold  pay  roll  and  the  remainder  are  on  the  silver  pay 
roll,  which  means  Panama  currency. 

Compensations  of  the  Canal.  ' 

An  improvement  of  such  magnitude  in  the  outlay  of  labor, 
time  and  money  as  the  Panama  Canal  will  represent  when 
completed,  ought  to  confer  some  corresponding  benefits  in 
the  saving  of  time,  labor  and  money. 

All  these  factors  were  taken  into  consideration  before  the 
first  serious  step  in  launching  the  enterprise  was  made.    It  is 


190  San  Franciscans  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

always  wise  to  weigh  the  probable  results  of  an  undertaking 
before  assuming  the  responsibility  of' the  task. 

It  is  absolutely  certain  that  the  Panama  Canal  will  bestow 
some  advantages  not  alone  to  the  United  States,  but  to  the 
world  at  large.  That  has  been  true  of  every  similar  national 
and  international  enterprise,  and  this  will  be  no  exception. 

These  advantages  will  doubtless  exceed  the  most  extrava- 
gant anticipations  along  some  lines,  while  at  the  same  time 
they  may  fall  short  of  even  conservative  estimates  in  other 
directions.  Temperaments  have  much  to  do  in  measuring 
antiticpated  results  of  any  action. 

One  result  of  the  completed  Panama  Canal  is  beyond  the 
shade  of  a  doubt.  It  will  open  a  new  water  way  around  the 
world.  But  that  is  not  all,  nor  the  chief  benefit.  It  will 
open  a  much  shorter  water  route  between  certain  ports  than 
has  ever  existed. 

The  shortest  all-water  route  between  Liverpool  and  San 
Francisco  is  by  way  of  the  Straits  of  Magellan. 

When  the  Panama  Canal  is  opened  for  traffic  there  will 
be  a  saving  of  5,660  miles  over  the  Magellan  route,  and  a 
corresponding  saving  with  South  American,  Central  Ameri- 
can, Mexican  and  Australian  ports. 

Between  Liverpool  and  Hongkong  there  will  be  a  saving 
of  5,379  miles  over  the  route  by  way  of  the  Straits  of 
Magellan. 

No  other  ship  canal  has  been  able  to  effect  such  a  saving 
between  ports  of  such  distance  from  each  other. 

In  connection  with  the  saving  of  time,  and  as  an  inevi- 
table fruit  of  the  same,  there  will  be  a  saving  in  expense  on 
every  trip  that  will  be  made  by  every  vessel  in  the  service. 

In  the  transportation  of  freight  between  domestic  Atlan- 
tic and  Pacific  ports  there  must  of  necessity  be  great  advan- 
tages to  importers  and  shippers. 

There  always  has  been  and  there  always  will  be  a  large 
volume  of  interchangeable  products  to  pass  over  the  route 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  191 

in  both  directions  at  much  more  reasonable  rates  and  in 
much  better  condition  than  hitherto. 

The  same  conditions  will  be  realized  in  the  trade  between 
Pacific  Coast  ports  and  European  ports  to  the  advantage 
of  all  concerned. 

There  Aviil  be  a  good  many  passengers  to  avail  them- 
selves of  the  canal^  route,  and  a  large  and  much  needed 
immigration  from  Europe  to  the  Pacific  Coast  will  follow. 
The  representatives  of  several  big  European  steamer  lines 
promise  through  trips. 

Domestic  Atlantic  trade  with  the  Orient  will  be  of  little 
advantage  to  domestic  Pacific  ports,  and  it  never  has  been 
of  much  account. 

But  apart  from  all  commercial  benefits  of  the  Panama 
Canal,  it  was  regarded  as  an  absolute  necessity  from  a  mili- 
tary point  of  view,  and  even  that  object  alone  is  justifica- 
tion for  the  outlay. 

'       Other  Ship  Canals. 

The  building  of  a  ship  canal  is  not  a  new  thing  under 
the  sun.  Such  a  waterway  is  no  longer  an  experiment. 
There  are  several  of  these  canals  of  variable  length  and  cost 
in  the  world,  meeting  a  variety  of  purposes  and  needs.  So 
far  as  known,  they  have  proved  to  be  good  investments,  if 
not  from  a  money  standpoint  to  the  promoters,  they  have  to 
the  great  convenience  and  economical  advantage  of  those 
who  navigate  the  great  waters  or  who  are  in  any  way  inter- 
ested in  the  ocean  carrying  trade. 

The  Languedoc  Canal  saves  a  voyage  of  about  2,000 
miles  through  the  Straits  of  Gibraltar.  This  is  a  lock  canal 
and  is  148  miles  long. 

The  Suez  Canal,  between  the  Gulf  of  Suez  and  Alexan- 
dria, saves  3,750  miles  on  the  route  to  India.  This  is  a 
sea-level  canal,  and  the  only  one  of  that  kind  in  existence. 


192  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

This  enterprise  first  began  to  attract  serious  attention 
in  1849,  which  crystallized  in  a  more  definite  form  in  1854, 
when  Ferdinand  Lesseps  became  associated  with  it.  Many- 
obstacles  and  prejudices  had  to  be  overcome  before  a  start 
could  be  made. 

Work  was  not  actually  commenced  until  near  the  close 
of  1860,  and  it  was  about  ten  years  later  before  the  canal 
was  opened  for  traffic. 

From  25,000  to  30,000  men  were  employed  in  the  con- 
struction. The  drifting  sand  made  the  progress  slow  and 
embarrassing. 

A  small  canal  for  fresh  water  had  to  be  opened  in  con- 
nection with  the  work. 

The  geographical  length  of  the  Suez  Canal  is  88  miles, 
of  which  66  miles  was  formed  by  cutting  for  the  canal,  14 
miles  by  dredging  through  connecting  lakes,  while  8  miles 
of  the  waterway  was  of  the  required  depth,  and  therefore 
already  made  available. 

The  canal  has  a  navigable  depth  of  26  feet  for  a  width 
of  72  feet  at  the  bottom.  There  are  two  breakwaters  of 
concrete  blocks  at  Port  Said,  enclosing  450  acres  of  water 
of  a  depth  of  13  to  14  feet,  and  25  to  28  feet  in  the  channel 
leading  to  the  canal.  There  is  also  a  breakwater  at  Suez, 
and  also  two  large  basins  and  a  dry  dock. 

At  first,  it  required  about  three  days  for  vessels  to  get 
through  the  canal  by  daylight.  Electric  lights  installed  in 
March,  1883,  have  since  reduced  the  time  to  16  hours. 

The  cost  of  the  Suez  Canal  and  its  accessories  was  about 
£20,000,000. 

It  was  the  project  of  Said  Pasha,  Viceroy  of  Egypt. 
Some  progress  had  been  made  prior  to  his  death.  His 
brother  succeeded,  but  declined  to  go  on  with  the  enter- 
prise. The  Viceroy  was  reimbursed  for  the  outlay,  and  the 
French  completed  the  undertaking.  The  canal  was  opened 
in  November,  1869. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  193 

In  1870,  the  number  of  vessels  passing  through  the  canal 
was  486,  representing  654,915  tons  of  tonnage,  and  the 
receipts  were  £206,373. 

Since  then  an  appreciative  use  has  been  made  of  this 
waterway  by  vessels  from  domestic  Atlantic  and  European 
ports. 

With  few  exceptions,  each  succeeding  year  has  shown 
an  increase  in  business   over  the   preceding   one. 

In  1880,  the  number  of  vessels  passing  through  the  canal 
was  2,022,  representing  4,344,500  tons  of  tonnage  and 
recipts  of  £1,629,600. 

In  1890,  the  number  of  vessels  using  the  canal  had 
increased  to  3,389,  representing  9,749,129  tons  of  tonnage, 
^hile  the  receipts  were  £2,679,340. 

At  the  end  of  the  third  decade,  say  in  1900,  the  number 
of  vessels  passing  through  the  canal  was  3,441,  represent- 
ing 9,738,152  tons  of  tonnage,  and  receipts  of  £3,624,944. 

Eleven  different  nationalities  used  the  canal  in  that  year. 
As  in  every  preceding  year,  the  British  flag  predominated, 
having  been  observed  on  1,905  vessels  of  7,389,200  tons  of 
tonnage.  In  number  of  trips  this  is  55  per  cent  of  the  whole 
number  made  by  all  flags  that  year,  and  in  aggregate  ton- 
nage represented  it  is  about  62  per  cent. 

Germany  followed  Great  Britain  that  year  with  325 
trips  of  1,194,100  tons  of  tonnage,  then  France  with  202 
trips  of  808,000  tons  and  then  Holland  with  206  trips  of 
532,300  tons. 

The  other  seven  flags  were  represented  by  trips  varying 
in  number  from  78  to  8  and  by  aggregate  tonnage  from 
265,400  to  6,600. 

At  the  tail  end  of  the  fleet  passing  through  the  canal 
was  the  great  United  States,  once  a  maritime  nation  second 
to  no  other,  with  three  trips  of  6,627  tons.  Whether  this 
total  represented  one  vessel  making  three  trips  during  the 
year  or  three  vessels  is  not  stated. 


194  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

The  report  of  the  Suez  Canal  for  1910  shows  that  4,533 
trips  were  made,  representing  23,054,900  tons  of  tonnage 
and  receipts  of  127,251,233  francs,  approximating  $25,450,- 
200  in  American  money. 

That  was  the  best  year  in  the  history  of  the  canal.  The 
amoimt  of  tonnage  for  that  year  shows  an  increase  of 
7,647,400  tons  over  the  previous  years,  or  nearly  50  per  cent, 
which  is  greater  than  for  any  previous  year  since  1872.  The 
increase  from  1900  was  about  130  per  cent. 

Of  the  tonnage  passing  through  the  canal  last  year, 
14,365,500  tons  was  under  the  British  flag,  3,620,000  tons 
under  the  German  flag,  1,249,700  tons  under  the  French 
flag  and  1,196,200  tons  under  the  Dutch  flag. 

The  toll  for  passing  through  the  canal  was  first  fixed  at 
10  francs  per  net  ton  of  tonnage,  but  was  soon  afterwards 
raised  to  10  francs  per  gross  tons,  and  a  little  later  the  same 
rate  was  again  made  applicable  to  the  net  ton,  with  a  varia- 
ble surtax.  The  latter  was  subsequently  abolished,  and  in 
1887  the  tax  was  reduced  to  9^/2  frances.  It  was  in  that 
year  that  a  night  service  was  introduced  under  suitable 
light  regulations. 

In  more  recent  years  the  toll  has  been  7%  frances  per 
net  ton.  The  vessels  in  1910  were  sent  through  the  canal 
on  an  average  of  16  hours  and  42  minutes. 

Panama-Pacific  Exposition  Company. 

This  organization  was  perfected  in  1910,  and  immediately 
started  a  campaign  for  funds  to  finance  an  exposition  to 
commemorate  the  completion  of  the  Panama  Canal  in  1915, 
to  which  all  the  world  should  be  invited. 

After  securing  individual  pledges  for  $7,500,000  and 
State  and  municipal  authority  to  levy  a  tax  of  $10,000,000 
more,  to  be  apportioned  equally  between  San  Francisco  and 
the   State,  a  large  and  influential  committee  was  sent  to 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  195 

Washington  to  obtain  a  favorable  vote  from  Congress  endors- 
ing San  Francisco  as  the  proper  place  for  holding  the  expo- 
sition. 

By  persistent,  united  and  energetic  efforts,  the  commit- 
tee finally  succeeded  in  securing  such  recognition  against  all 
other  claimants. 

As  soon  as  a  certain  percentage  of  the  $17,500,000  has 
been  actually  paid  up  for  this  object,  the  President  is 
authorized  to  formally  and  cordially  invite  all  nations  to 
participate  in  the  exhibition  of  their  industries  along  all 
lines  to  the  end  that  the  exposition  may  be  a  credit  to  all 
concerned  and  commensurate  with  the  importance  of  the 
event  it  is  intended  to  commemorate. 

So  far,  every  step  appears  to  have  been  made  in  the 
right  direction,  according  to  well  digested  plans  and  pur- 
poses. 

Much  enthusiasm  has  been  displayed  in  formulating 
plans  and  in  tl|e  execution  of  the  same,  and  the  unity  of 
feeling  has  been  remarkable.  This  is  a  good  sign,  and  it 
augurs  well  for  the  complete  success  of  the  enterprise. 

San  Franciscans  have  never  undertaken  any  project 
unitedly  without  accomplishing  the  object  in  view.  There 
have  been  many  illustrations  along  this  line. 

In  early  days,  when  crime  became  too  rampant  to  be  sup- 
pressed by  the  legalized  agencies  created  for  that  purpose, 
the  people  took  the  matter  into  their  own  hands,  and  cleaned 
the  town  of  the  rough  and  disorderly  elements.  When  an 
attempt  was  made  to  flood  the  State  with  inferior  money,  it 
was  settled  in  a  single  day. 

It  is  only  necessary  to  carry  the  present  unity  of  feeling 
over  the  exposition  in  the  preparation  and  execution  of 
the  work  yet  to  be  undertaken,  to  make  the  event  to  be 
celebrated  one  of  the  greatest  of  the  kind  in  the  world's 
history. 


196  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

The  site  has  been  selected,  and  engineers  and  architects 
are  working  out  their  plans.  President  Taft  has  accepted 
an  invitation  to  break  ground  for  the  improvements  on 
October  14th. 

Heavy  Demand  for  American  Ships. 

Old  Glory,  as  the  American  flag  is  frequently  designated, 
was  in  its  glory  in  1853,  when  the  tonnage  arrivals  of  sail 
vessels  at  San  Francisco  from  domestic  Atlantic  ports  num- 
bered 346,  representing  260,223  tons  of  tonnage,  with 
freight  earnings  of  $9,911,400  on  the  cargoes. 

Never  before,  perhaps,  and  certainly  not  since,  have  the 
arrivals  from  that  source  been  as  numerous. 

Every  available  vessel  on  the  Atlantic  side  flying  the 
American  flag  was  pressed  into  the  service  for  that  year's 
work  at  such  remunerative  rates  that  made  American 
bottoms  the  envy  of  the  owners  of  foreign  bottoms. 

The  sail  arrivals  at  San  Francisco  in  1853  included  189 
of  156,986  tons  from  New  York,  103  of  76,570  tons  from 
Boston,  and  54  of  26,717  tons  from  Philadelphia,  Baltimore 
and  other  domestic  Atlantic  ports.  These  vessels  averaged 
752  tons. 

The  monthly  arrivals  from  those  sources  in  that  year 
varied  from  40  in  January  to  16  in  December,  an  average 
of  29  for  every  month  in  the  year. 

Prominent  Shippers,  Past  and  Present. 

In  March,  1847,  the  only  merchant  ship  in  port  was  the 
Vandalia,  and  she  was  probably  consigned  to  Howard  & 
Melius,  whose  place  of  business  was  on  Montgomery  street, 
between  Clay  and  Washington,  or  at  the  edge  of  the  waters 
of  the  bay  at  high  tide. 

Between  1848  and  1852,  the  number  of  persons  or  firms 
engaged  in  receiving  or  shipping  freight  in  the  ocean  carry- 
ing trade  increased  rapidly.     Many  of  these  early  shipping 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  197 

firms  were  from  the  West  coast,  while  others  were  from  the 
Atlantic  side. 

Among  these  were  Agard,  Foulkes  &  Co.,  Alsop  &  Co., 
William  T.  Coleman,  Cross  &  Co.,  Falkner,  Bell  &  Co.,  Flint, 
Peabody  &  Co.,  Freeman,  Smith  &  Co.,  Isaac  Friedlander, 
James  De  Fremery,  DeWitt,  Kittle  &  Co.,  Dickson,  DeWolf 
&  Co.,  Daniel  Gibb  &  Co.,  George  Howes  &  Co.,  C.  Adolphe 
Low,  J.  C.  Merrill  &  Co.,  Macondray  &  Co.,  Parrott  &  Co., 
Moore  Bros.,  Stevens,  Baker  &  Co. 

All  these  firms  were  in  existence  in  1870,  and  many 
others  had  been  added  during  the  interval,  while  some  of  the 
later  ones  had  dropped  out. 

In  March  of  that  year  there  were  28  vessels  en  route  from 
domestic  Atlantic  ports  and  39  from  foreign  ports,  exclusive 
of  the  steamers  in  the  regular  passenger  lines.- 

The  shipping  firms  in  business  here  in  March,  1870, 
embraced  Augur,  Christiansen  &  Co.,  Balfour,  Guthrie  & 
Co.,  N.  Bichard,  Charles  Wolcott  Brooks  &  Co.,  A.  Craw- 
ford &  Co.,  P.  C.  Dart,  Albert  Dibble,  Forbes  Bros.,  B.  Feur- 
stein  &  Co.,  Gildermeister  Meucke  &  Co.,  Hellman  Bros., 
McNear  Bros.,  John  Mel  &  Son,  T.  Lemmon  Meyer,  Henry 
Lund  &  Co.,  Pascal  Dubedat  &  Co.,  J.  Pinet,  Rodgers,  Meyer 
&  Co.,  John  Rosenfeld,  Piatt  &  Newton,  A.  E.  Sabatie, 
Morris  Speyer,  Castera  &  Lacour,  Vernon  Seaman,  A.  M. 
Simpson  &  Co.,  Williams,  Blanchard  &  Co.,  A.  Vignier,  C.  L. 
Taylor,  Welch  &  Co. 

Very  few  of  the  shipping  houses  in  existence  at  one  time 
or  another  prior  to  1871  are  now  in  operation,  and  many  of 
the  vacancies  have  never  been  filled,  owing  to  the  concen- 
tration tendency  of  the  times. 

The  leading  shipping  firms  now  in  business  embrace 
Balfour,  Guthrie  &  Co.,  Girvin  &  Eyre,  W.  R.  Grace  &  Co., 
Hind,  Rolph  &  Co.,  J.  &  A.  Brown,  Henry  Lund  &  Co., 
McNear  &  Co.,  Meyer,  Wilson  &  Co.,  J.  J.  Moore,  Parrott 


198  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

&  Co.,  Strauss  &  Co.,  Welch  &  Co.,  Williams,  Dimond  &  Co. 
These  are  exclusive  of  the  regular  steamship  lines. 

Of  the  60  grain  vessels  cleared  in  the  last  fiscal  year, 
25  were  cleared  by  Balfour,  Guthrie  &  Co.,  6  by  Girvin  & 
Eyre,  7  by  Hind,  Rolph  &  Co.,  8  by  McNear  &  Co.,  and  11 
by  Strauss  &  Co. 

Future  of  American  Marine. 

The  American  flag,  once  so  prominent  on  the  merchant 
marine  in  foreign  ports,  has  of  late  years  been  significantly 
absent,  and  that  large  class  of  citizens  in  foreign  lands  who 
have  never  ventured  beyond  their  own  sea  coast  know  noth- 
ing about  the  American  flag,  nor  what  it  stands  for  in  the 
family  of  nations. 

Various  attempts  have  been  made  in  the  last  thirty  or 
forty  years  to  restore  the  prestige  once  enjoyed  by  the 
American  marine  in  the  ocean  carrying  trade  of  the  world. 

It  is  thought  that  this  could  have  been  done  in  either 
one  of  two  ways,  namely,  by  subsidies  or  by  according 
American  registry  to  foreign  built  ships.  So  far,  Congress 
has  utterly  refused  to  adopt  either  measure. 

Great  Britain,  France,  Germany  and  Japan  have  granted 
subsidies  to  vessels  carrying  their  flags,  and  with  appar- 
ently some  good  results,  though  perhaps  not  in  all  cases  as 
satisfactory  as  could  be  desired  or  as  anticipated.  Still 
this  course  has  had  the  effect  of  increasing  the  merchant 
marine  of  these  countries. 

For  want  of  some  inducement  other  than  now  exists  to 
build  and  run  American  ships,  the  Government  has  been 
obliged  to  charter  foreign  bottoms  to  carry  coal  from  domes- 
tic Atlantic  to  domestic  Pacific  ports  for  its  Navy.  In  doing 
this  it  has  violated  its  own  customs  regulations,  and  has 
done  what  it  would  heavily  fine  any  private  citizen  for 
doing. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  199 

If  the  Government  cannot  get  American  ships  to  do  its 
own  freighting,  it  should  build  its  own  ships  for  that  pur- 
pose. What  it  is  now  doing  in  the  use  of  foreign  ships  to 
carry  coal  between  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  is  open  to  criti- 
cism and  has  been  frequently  censured. 

Six  British  steamers  of  18,000  tons  register  arrived  at 
this  port  in  August,  1911,  from  Virginia,  with  coal  for  the 
Government. 

The  Government  can  well  afford  to  grant,  under 
restricted  conditions,  American  registry  to  foreign  built 
ships.  It  is  claimed  by  some  that  even  this  concession  will 
fail  to  increase  the  merchant  marine  of  the  country.  But 
it  is  worth  a  trial.  The  Government  might  insist  on  the 
option  of  the  use  of  such  ships  in  case  of  emergency. 

The  opening  of  the  Panama  Canal  will  add  materially  to 
the  volume  of  freight  between  the  Atlantic  and  the  Pacific, 
and  American  citizens  should  be  favored  to  the  fullest  extent 
possible  in  the  use  of  the  waterway. 

In  1861,  American  tonnage  in  the  foreign  trade  of  the 
United  States  amounted  to  2,496,900  tons.  That  was  the 
largest  total  ever  reached,  and  included  102,600  tons  under 
steam.  The  American  people  were  justly  proud  of  the 
prominence  of  American  shipping  in  the  foreign  trade  at 
that  time. 

A  half  century  has  since  elapsed,  and  the  total  of  Ameri- 
can tonnage  in  the  foreign  trade  is  800,000  tons,  of  which 
75  per  cent  is  under  steam. 

It  is  claimed  that  Americans  now  own  and  operate 
1,600,000  tons  of  tonnage  under  foreign  flags.  This  total 
includes  the  steamers  in  the  famous  White  Star  line,  a  New 
Jersey  corporation. 

So  long  as  steamers  can  be  built  in  foreign  shipyards  at 
one-half  the  cost  of  building  the  same  in  this  country,  some- 
thing must  be  done  to  overcome  that  difference.     American 


200  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

registry  to  foreign  built  ships  is  insufficient  and  unsatisfac- 
tory. It  is  desirable  that  the  ships  should  be  built  in  this 
country.  The  last  annual  report  of  the  Cramp's  plant  in 
Philadelphia  showed  an  insignificant  net  surplus. 

The  cost  of  running  American  steamers  greatly  exceeds 
that  of  foreign  steamers,  but  under  more  favorable  naviga- 
tion laws  this  expense  could  be  modified  without  detriment 
to  the  service. 

U.  S.  Navy  at  the  Golden  Gate. 

Probably  one  of  the  finest  exhibitions  in  the  marine  line 
ever  witnessed  at  this  port  was  the  entrance  through  the 
Golden  Gate  in  May,  1908,  of  the  large  fleet  of  warships 
from  the  United  States  Navy  in  the  notable  voyage  around 
the  world. 

The  sight  was  both  imposing  and  instructive  to  the  many 
thousands  who  witnessed  it,  some  of  whom  had  never  seen 
such  an  array  of  warships  before,  and  they  are  not  likely 
to  see  another  equally  as  magnificent  again,  at  least  not 
until  the  exposition  in  1915. 

It  was  truly  an  inspiring  scene.  It  stirred  anew  the 
patriotism  always  existing  in  every  lover  of  his  country.  It 
added  a  little  to  the  stature  and  strength  of  every  beholder. 

The  place  assigned  in  the  bay  to  this  large  fleet  was 
excellently  chosen,  and  the  thousands  who  daily  used  the 
numerous  ferries  during  the  stay  of  the  fleet  were  highly 
favored. 

The  sending  of  this  fleet  around  the  world  was  a  good 
object  lesson  to  people  in  every  port  of  call.  There  is  a 
better  appreciation  and  more  respect  for  the  United  States 
in  foreign  countries  than  previously  existed,  and  the  experi- 
ence will  have  an  abiding  influence  for  many  years. 

An  American  Line  with  a  Record, 

If  the  history  of  the  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Company 
should  ever  be  written,  it  will  be  a  contribution  to  marine 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  201 

intelligence  worth  reading  and  of  profound  interest.  It  is 
the  oldest  American  steamship  company  in  existence. 
Started  in  April,  1848,  over  sixty-three  years  ago  at  this 
writing,  it  has  maintained  a  varied  and  uninterrupted  ser- 
vice amid  all  conceivable  impediments,  including  competi- 
tion by  rival  lines,  some  of  which  were  installed  from  mer- 
cenary motives,  together  with  losses  by  fire  and  other  perils 
incident  to  all  water  transportation  agencies. 

Its  history  is  intimately  interwoven  with  that  of  Cali- 
fornia, but  antedates  it  by  two  years.  The  indebtedness  of 
the  one  to  the  other  has  been  about  evenly  divided.  In  the 
early  years,  its  steamers  brought  thousands  of  people  to 
work  its  mines,  till  its  soil  and  put  in  manufactured  form 
such  of  its  products  as  required  this  handiwork. 

The  company  has  shared  to  some  extent  the  prosperity 
of  the  State  and  suffered  alike  with  it  during  the  lean  years. 
But  it  has  never  gone  back  on  the  State  it  has  helped  to 
build  up.  It  has  maintained  a  generally  satisfactory  service 
on  all  the  routes  it  has  ever  covered  in  the  largest  of  the 
five  great  oceans  of  the  world.  It  has  upheld  the  flag  of  the 
country  for  a  longer  period  than  any  other  line. 

Incorporated  with  a  capital  of  $500,000  in  1848,  but 
without  a  single  steamer  at  its  disposal,  it  entered  at  once 
upon  the  construction  of  a  fleet  that  in  twenty  years  num- 
bered twenty-five,  independent  of  those  lost  during  that 
interval.  All  this  was  accomplished  with  but  little  aid  from 
the  Government  in  the  way  of  subsidy  for  carrying  the 
mails.  There  was  a  subsidy  of  $200,000  per  annum  for  a 
few  years  for  carrying  the  mails  from  New  York  to  San 
Francisco  and  Portland,  and  upon  the  opening  of  the  China 
line  a  further  subsidy  of  $500,000  for  a  few  years.  There 
may  have  been  other  small  subsidies  on  the  other  routes 
covered  for  limited  periods,  but  they  are  not  recalled. 

The  founders  of  the  line,  as  represented  by  Aspinwall, 
Howland  and  Chauncey,  were  just  the  kind  of  men  to  head 


202  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future 

an  enterprise  of  this  kind.  They  had  been  tried  in  other 
departments  of  business  and  finance,  and  were  thoroughly 
seasoned  for  the  new  adventure.  When  these  gentlemen 
undertook  this  work,  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California 
had  not  been  made  public,  and  their  undertaking  therefore 
was  all  the  more  heroic.  But  they  were  equal  to  the  new 
responsibilities  which  that  discovery  thrust  upon  them.  It 
is  fortunate  that  such  was  the  case,  for  incompetent  men 
would  have  failed  to  meet  the  emergencies  of  the  hour. 

As  bearers  and  distributors  of  the  California  gold,  the 
company  held  a  position  of  responsibility  second  to  no  other 
then  in  existence.  The  Civil  War  of  1861  to  1864  greatly 
accentuated  this  responsibility.  Steamers  with  one  million 
in  gold  were  worth  going  after  by  piratical  crews.  This  was 
especially  true  of  the  company's  steamers  from  Aspinwall 
to  New  York.  So  great  was  this  peril  on  that  route  that 
a  Government  war  steamer  was  detailed  to  act  as  a  convoy 
on  the  most  dangerous  part  of  the  route.  At  that  time  the 
country  had  no  gold  to  spare,  and  its  paper  money  was 
worth  only  40  cents  in  specie  to  the  dollar.  Next  to  the 
army,  California's  gold  was  the  most  valuable  asset  of  the 
Government  at  that  time. 

The  company  of  course  had  its  trials,  both  internal  and 
external.  On  the  Atlantic  side  especially,  Commodore  Van- 
derbilt  was  a  source  of  irritation,  and  also  to  some  extent 
on  the  Pacific  side.  This  eventually  led  to  a  division  of  the 
service,  Mr.  Vanderbilt  taking  complete  possession  of  the 
Atlantic  route  and  the  Mail  Company  of  the  Pacific.  Tired 
of  this  service,  Vanderbilt  sold  his  steamers  to  outside  par- 
ties, and  they  in  turn  sold  them  to  the  Pacific  Mail  Com- 
pany, which  retained  the  through  service  until  1893,  when 
the  Government  undertook  the  service  between  Colon  and 
New  York,  purchasing  the  company's  steamers  on  that 
route. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  203 

In  the  earlier  years  of  its  history,  there  were  occasional 
reports  of  differences  affecting  the  internal  management  of 
affairs.  It  was  said  that  stock  jobbers  sometimes  got  con- 
trol of  the  shares,  and  put  in  men  who  knew  more  about 
manipulating  stocks  in  Wall  Street  than  they  did  about 
manipulating  ships  on  the  sea,  and  who  naturally  put  in 
their  best  work  where  they  were  most  at  home,  and  got  their 
reward,  not  in  well-earned  salaries  so  much  as  in  the  profits 
from  stock  deals.  From  a  par  value  of  100,  the  shares  have 
vibrated  from  300  down  to  30.  This  was  the  range  that  pre- 
vailed prior  to  1887.  How  many  fortunes  have  been  lost 
and  won  in  these  manipulations  it  is  impossible  to  tell. 

For  many  years  the  stock  was  a  favorite  gamble  in  Wall 
Street.  All  sorts  of  rumors  were  put  in  circulation  from 
time  to  time  to  inflate  or  depress  values,  the  manipulators 
making  quite  as  much  out  of  these  deals  whether  operating 
on  the  bear  or  the  bull  side  of  the  market.  The  legitimate 
vicissitudes  of  the  company  have  also  been  an  element  in 
the  same  line,  ^he  loss  of  a  single  steamer  has  knocked 
many  per  cent  from  the  value  of  the  shares.  In  the  first 
seven  months  of  1887  the  price  of  the  shares  varied  from 
58  in  April  to  38  in  August. 

During  those  forty  years  there  were  also  rumors  of 
attempts  to  unduly  influence  legislation,  both  State  and 
Federal.  Such  charges  against  corporations,  whether  just 
or  unjust,  have  been  made  from  time  immemorial,  and  they 
will  probably  continue  to  be  made  to  the  end  of  the  ages. 

As  a  matter  of  historj^  it  may  be  stated  that  in  the  spring 
of  1867,  the  New  York  Legislature  had  a  committee  inves- 
tigating alleged  mal-administration  of  the  company's  affairs, 
but  the  report  of  that  committee  fully  exonerated  the  direc- 
tors. There  is  a  class  in  every  large  community  that  delights 
to  assail  corporations  for  all  sorts  of  unlawful  things,  who 
would  not  dare  to  make  the  same  charges  against  the  indi- 


204  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

viduals  forming  such  corporations  in  matters  pertaining  to 
their  private  business. 

In  the  first  twenty  years  of  the  company's  business  it 
built  up  a  fleet  of  25  steamers,  including  the  America  and 
Japan,  on  the  stocks  at  the  end  of  that  term.  The  list 
included  the  Henry  Chauncey,  New  York,  Ocean  Queen, 
Rising  Star,  Northern  Light,  Ariel,  Champion,  Arizona, 
Costa  Rica,  and  Clara,  together  with  the  new  steamers  Great 
Republic,  China,  Japan  and  America  on  the  Atlantic,  and 
the  Colorado,  Hermann,  Golden  City,  Constitution,  Golden 
Age,  Sacramento,  Montana,  St.  Louis,  Sonora,  California  and 
Taboga  on  the  Pacific. 

These  steamers,  with  a  single  exception,  registered  from 
1,000  to  4,000  tons,  most  of  them  being  from  2,000  to  4,000 
tons.  Four  of  them  were  new  in  1867.  These  were  the 
America,  China,  Great  Republic  and  Japan,  each  costing 
about  $1,250,000,  or  $5,000,000  for  the  four.  Most  of  the 
others  cost  from  $250,000  to  $500,000,  showing  that  the  com- 
pany had  in  1867  about  $10,000,000  in  steamship  property. 
All  these  were  side-wheelers. 

Twenty  years  later,  or  in  1887,  hardly  one  of  these  was 
in  existence  as  a  steamer,  though  the  hulks  of  two  or  more 
might  be  found  in  service  under  sail  or  as  store  ships.  That 
was  a  good  deal  of  property  to  be  wiped  out  in  twenty 
years,  as  the  company  did  not  insure  its  steamers  in  the 
early  years,  and  the  only  realizable  asset  was  the  pittance 
obtained  from  the  sale  of  the  steamers  to  be  broken  up  for 
junk.  Two  of  the  big  paddle-wheelers  of  1867  ended  their 
days  in  smoke  on  Asiatic  shores,  another  was  wrecked  off 
the  Oregon  coast  and  the  fourth  was  broken  up. 

In  no  subsequent  year  has  the  company  owned  so  many 
side-wheelers  as  in  1867.  That  appears  to  have  been  the 
turning  point  in  the  construction  of  such  steamers  for  the 
Pacific  Mail  service.  The  inauguration  of  the  China  trade 
is  what  did  the  business  for  the  side-wheelers. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  205 

President  McLane,  however,  as  late  as  April,  1868, 
strongly  favored  side-wheel  steamers,  and  his  firm  stand  on 
that  proposition  at  that  time  provoked  much  adverse  criti- 
cism. The  experience  of  the  side-wheel  steamer  Golden  Age 
on  her  first  and  only  trip  hence  to  Japan  in  1869  was  just 
what  had  been  predicted  of  side-wheelers  when  caught  in  a 
typhoon.  It  is  true  the  Golden  Age  outrode  that  storm,  and 
survived  to  do  years  of  good  service  in  the  China  Seas.  But 
her  escape  was  more  providential  than  otherwise,  as  the 
typhoon  ceased  almost  immediately  upon  striking  the  vessel. 
She  was  thrown  on  her  beam  ends  and  the  fires  put  out. 
Yet  she  was  soon  righted  by  the  cutting  away  of  her  hurri- 
cane deck,  the  ability  to  work  one  of  her  wheels  and  the 
sudden  cessation  of  the  storm. 

If  the  directors  of  the  Pacific  Mail  had  not  already  deter- 
mined to  cease  building  steamers  of  that  class  for  the  China 
trade,  the  narrow  escape  of  the  Golden  Age  in  the  winter 
of  1869  would  have  decided  them.  It  appears  that  the 
stockholders  indorsed  this  view  of  the  directors  by  retiring 
Allan  McLane  from  the  presidency  of  the  company  about 
the  same  time  that  the  building  of  side-wheelers  in  the  China 
trade  was  abandoned.  At  least  this  was  the  view  the  two 
events  so  closely  allied  suggested  to  the  outside  public. 

For  five  years  following  the  opening  of  the  China  line, 
though  not  particularly  as  a  result  of  that  enterprise,  but 
rather  through  business  depression  and  other  causes,  the 
Pacific  Mail  did  not  make  much  headway.  In  1872,  the 
company  owed  $3,500,000,  and  had  only  one  iron  steamship 
paid  for,  the  Honduras. 

In  seven  years  thereafter  the  company  built  a  fleet  of 
iron  steamers  costing  $9,500,000,  three-fourths  of  which  sum 
came  out  of  the  earnings.  In  1879,  the  company's  fleet 
embraced  sixteen  iron  steamships,  all  screw  propellers,  and 
four  wooden  side-wheelers.  This  list  included  the  City  of 
Peking  and  City  of  Tokio,  each  5,080  tons,  which  were  the 


206  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  —  Past  and  Future 

largest  steamers  then  afloat  in  the  China  trade.  Under  the 
new  tonnage  law  of  November,  1882,  the  tonnage  register 
of  these  vessels  was  reduced  to  3,129  tons.  At  that  time 
there  were  but  few  steamers  in  service  anywhere  with  a 
larger  registered  tonnage.  The  exceptions  as  then  recalled 
were  the  British  steamers  City  of  Rome,  4,015  tons,  and  Ser- 
via,  3,971  tons,  and  the  French  steamer  Le  Bretagne,  3,907 
tons.  The  Servia  had  then  only  recently  come  off  the  stocks. 
Neither  of  these  steamers  is  now  in  existence.  The  City  of 
Peking  and  the  City  of  Tokio  were  the  largest  steamers 
under  the  reduced  tonnage  flying  the  American  flag  in  any 
part  of  the  world  at  that  time. 

Commencing  in  1848,  with  a  paid-up  capital  of  $500,000, 
additions  were  made  from  time  to  time,  mainly  in  the  form 
of  scrip  dividends,  until  the  total  reached  $20,000,000.  There 
were  no  cash  dividends  paid  until  May,  1856,  or  eight  years 
after  its  organization  and  seven  years  after  it  had  three 
steamers  running  between  Panama  and  San  Francisco. 

The  first  dividend  was  10  per  cent,  which  was  paid  in 
May,  1856,  and  a  second  dividend  of  15  per  cent  was  paid  in 
the  following  November,  making  25  per  cent  so  disbursed  in 
1856.  The  nominal  capital  at  that  time  was  $4,000,000, 
though  only  $3,691,000  was  entitled  to  the  dividend. 
Twenty-five  per  cent  in  one  year  was  not  a  bad  thing  to 
take,  even  in  the  days  of  old  and  the  days  of  gold. 

But  in  1857,  the  company  did  better  still,  giving  stock- 
holders three  10  per  cent  dividends,  or  30  per  cent.  That 
was  the  largest  cash  dividend  the  company  ever  paid  in  a 
single  year. 

In  1860,  the  full  capital  stock  of  $4,000,000  was  paid  up, 
and  remained  at  that  figure  until  1865,  when  another  $1,000,- 
000  was  added.  This  was  on  August  20th.  A  month  later 
there  was  a  scrip  dividend  equal  to  50  per  cent  of  the  paid- 
up  capital,  which  of  course  increased  the  same  to  $7,500,000. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  207 

On  June  1,  1866,  an  addition  of  $2,500,000  was  called  in 
from  stockholders,  thus  increasing  the  capital  to  $10,000,000. 
In  October  of  the  same  year,  50,000  additional  shares  were 
issued,  making  the  capital  $15,000,000,  and  on  January  2, 
1867,  a  dividend  of  50,000  shares  was  given  to  stockholders, 
which  further  increased  the  capital  to  $20,000,000. 

No  further  change  has  been  made  in  the  capital  stock 
from  that  day  to  the  present.  Of  this  capital,  as  will  have 
been  observed,  $7,500,000  was  paid  in  cash  and  $12,500,000 
in  the  form  of  stock  dividends,  of  which  $2,500,000  was  dis- 
tributed in  1865,  and  $10,000,000  in  two  equal  amounts  in 
1866  and  in  1867,  respectively. 

Cash  dividends  were  maintained  every  year  from  1856 
to  1867,  but  at  irregular  rates  and  intervals.  In  1858  there 
were  three  of  these  dividends  amounting  to  26  per  cent, 
followed  by  one  of  10  per  cent  in  1859,  and  two  of  10  per 
cent  in  1860.  In  1861,  there  were  three  of  5  per  cent  each, 
and  in  the  following  three  years  four  quarterly  dividends 
of  5  per  cent  each  were  paid.  In  1865,  there  were  three 
dividends  amounting  to  15  per  cent,  one  of  5  per  cent  and 
one  of  21/2  per  cent.  In  1866,  the  dividends  were  paid  bi- 
monthly, four  of  them  being  at  5  per  cent  and  two  at  2^/2 
per  cent.  In  1867,  there  were  four  dividends,  aggregating  12 
per  cent.  No  dividends  in  1868,  but  three  of  9  per  cent  in 
the  aggregate  in  1869. 

There  were  no  further  cash  dividends  until  1884,  when 
three,  aggregating  3%  per  cent,  were  paid.  There  were  no 
dividends  in  the  following  two  years,  but  in  1887  there 
were  four,  equal  to  li/4  per  cent  per  quarter. 

The  total  cash  dividends  paid  from  1856  to  1887,  both 
years  inclusive,  amounted  to  $15,456,510.  This  was  not  a 
very  large  sum  to  distribute  among  stockholders  in  the  way 
of  cash  dividends  by  a  big  corporation  that  had  been  in 
existence  for  practically  forty  years,  and  yet  this  amount 


208  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 

was  just  double  the  sum  that  the  stockholders  had  paid  into 
the  company  on  account  of  capital  stock.  These  75,000 
shares  cost  the  subscribers  $100  per  share,  or  $7,500,000. 
If  they  had  been  selling  at  par  in  1887,  when  the  last  of  the 
above  dividends  was  paid,  the  stockholders  could  have  said 
that  they  had  received  in  cash  two  dollars  for  every  dollar 
they  had  put  into  the  company,  but  as  previously  men- 
tioned, Pacific  Mail  shares  in  1887  sold  at  58  to  38. 

In  addition  to  the  cash  dividends,  however,  the  stock- 
holders had  received  prior  to  1868  through  stock  dividends 
a  total  of  125,000  shares  of  capital  stock,  having  a  par 
value  of  $100  per  share,  equal  at  that  rate  to  $12,500,000, 
but  worth  not  one-half  of  that  sum  as  based  upon  the  aver- 
age selling  price  in  the  open  makret  in  1887. 

The  date  is  not  at  hand  to  show  how  long  after  1887 
these  cash  dividends  were  maintained,  even  at  the  low  rate 
of  5  per  cent  per  annum.  As  far  as  can  now  be  recalled 
they  were  soon  afterwards  suspended  for  a  time. 

It  is  known  that  in  1896  a  dividend  of  1  per  cent  was 
paid,  while  for  the  following  three  years  there  were  further 
cash  dividends  of  2,  2i/4  and  3  per  cent  per  annum,  re- 
spectively. 

There  have  been  no  cash  or  other  dividends  paid  since 
1899.  In  1892  the  stock  was  much  depressed,  with  some 
reported  sales  at  9  to  11,  with  C.  P.  Huntington  as  the  pur- 
chaser. 

In  November,  1900,  the  Southern  Pacific  Company  suc- 
ceeded in  acquiring  100,050  shares  of  the  capital  stock, 
representing  a  par  value  of  $10,050,000,  which,  of  course, 
gave  to  that  corporation  a  control  of  the  business. 

Since  1867,  the  capital  stock  has  been  $20,000,000,  in 
200,000  shares.  Several  attempts  Avere  made  prior  to  1887 
to  reduce  this  capital,  but  they  did  not  meet  with  favor. 
Expansion  is  always  more  popular  than  contraction. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade  — Past  and  Future  209 

The  omission  of  dividends  in  1885  and  1886  was  the  oc- 
casion for  one  of  these  attempts  at  reduction  of  capital. 

Just  before  the  first  dividend  of  1  per  cent  in  1887,  the 
financial  statement  showed  a  cash  balance  of  $530,000,  while 
the  outstanding  liabilities  were  only  $100,000.  The  payment 
of  that  dividend  still  left  a  cash  balance  of  $230,000  in  excess 
of  liabilities. 

After  the  payment  of  the  last  dividend  in  1899,  the  man- 
agement determined  to  devote  the  surplus  earnings  to  the 
further  improvement  of  the  plant  in  the  way  of  new  steam- 
ers and  other  changes  as  needed  from  time  to  time.  For  two 
years  after  the  purchase  of  the  Starbuck  in  1885,  there 
had  not  been  a  single  addition  made  to  the  fleet.  The  mag- 
nitude and  hazardous  character  of  the  business  in  hand  had 
reduced  its  margin  of  reserve  steamers  to  a  narrow  limit, 
and  a  strong  appeal  was  made  to  Congress  at  that  time  for 
a  rebate  of  duty  on  materials  needed  in  the  construction  of 
new  steamers.  This  failed,  meeting  the  same  fate  as  prev- 
ious ones  of  sinlilar  character.  At  the  same  time,  British 
steamers  in  the  China  trade  with  the  United  States  via  the 
Suez  Canal,  were  giving  the  Pacific  Mail  much  trouble. 

It  is  no  wonder  that  rumors  that  the  company  was  to 
abandon  this  or  that  route  have  found  circulation  every  now 
and  then  during  the  past  decade.  With  only  nominal  sub- 
sidies for  carrying  the  mails  to  foreign  ports,  that  would 
have  to  be  paid  to  some  parties  in  any  event,  the  company 
has  maintained  a  first-class  service  on  every  route  it  has 
covered,  and  often  at  a  loss.  The  Government  should  have 
more  pride  in  the  display  of  its  flag  in  foreign  ports  than 
has  been  exhibited  by  its  conduct  in  this  particular. 

The  fiscal  year  of  the  Pacific  Mail  Company  ends  on 
April  30th.  For  the  last  six  fiscal  years,  ending  with  April 
30,  1911,  the  earnings  from  all  sources  for  each  year  and 
the  surplus  or  deficit  at  the  end  of  each  year,  have  been  as 
follows : 


210  San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future  ^ 

In  1905-6,  earnings  $5,724,337;  surplus  $282,885. 

In  1906-7,  earnings  $4,839,245;  surplus  $130,464. 

In  1907-8,  earnings  $4,336,312;  deficit,    $428,817. 

In  1908-9,  earnings  $4,664,944;  deficit,    $339,685. 

In  1909-10,  earnings  $4,853,374;  deficit  $214,577. 

In  1910-11,  earnings  $4,974,819;  deficit  $199,276. 

For  the  year  1910-11  there  was  $354,457  charged  for  de- 
preciation and  extraordinary  repairs. 

It  is  presumed  that  such  a  course  was  the  rule  in  the 
other  years  before  determining  the  surplus  or  deficit  for 
the  year. 

In  the  last  fiscal  year  the  ordinary  disbursements  were 
$4,819,638,  or  $155,181  less  than  the  receipts.  But  after 
charging  off  $354,457  for  depreciation  and  extraordinary 
repairs,  this  net  income  of  $155,181  was  changed  to  a  deficit 
of  $199,276. 

During  the  last  six  fiscal  years.  Pacific  Mail  Company 
shares  in  New  York  have  ranged  from  53  in  December, 
1905,  to  19  two  years  later.    The  lowest  point  in  1905  was  33. 

The  extremes  for  the  subsequent  years  have  been  as  fol- 
lows :  In  1906,  from  51  in  January,  to  29  in  June ;  in  1907, 
from  41  in  January,  to  19  in  December;  in  1908,  from  29  in 
January,  to  24  in  August,  rising  to  40  in  December;  in  1909, 
from  29  in  February,  to  45  in  December;  in  1910,  from  43 
in  January,  to  23  in  July;  in  1911,  from  23  in  April,  to  31 
in  August.     Fractions  omitted. 

The  Pacific  Mail  Company  now  owns  about  20  iron  or 
steel  propellors,  representing  a  net  registered  tonnage  of 
about  70,000  tons. 

It  operates  a  tri-monthly  line  from  San  Francisco  to 
Panama  via  Mexico  and  Central  America  ports;  a  semi- 
monthly express  line  to  New  York  via  the  Isthmus;  a  tri- 
monthly  line  to  Hongkong  via  Honolulu  and  Yokohama, 
with  a  monthly  detour  to  Manila. 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade— Past  and  Future 


211 


OCEAN  TONNAGE  ARRIVALS 

Following  is  a  statement  of  net  registered  tonnage  arrivals  annuaUy 
in  the  ocean  trade  of  San  Francisco  from  1848  to  1911; 


Calendar 
Years 


Foreign  Trade 


Steam 


1848 

1849 

13,600 

1850 

30,000 

1851 

62,800 

1852 

70,300 

1853 

83,400 

1854 

79.000 

1855 

74,600 

1856 

71,800 

1857 

48,700 

1858 

100,500 

1859 

122,700 

1860 

102,300 

1861 

83,300 

1862 

135,000 

1863 

148,300 

1864 

171,900 

1865 

151,900 

1866 

158,200 

1867 

183,500 

1868 

256,100 

1869 

205,900 

1870 

161,700 

1871 

186,800 

1872 

196,200 

1873 

216,500 

1874 

267,900 

1875 

284,100 

1876 

272,500 

1877 

278,400 

1878 

286,400 

1879 

291,800 

1880 

298,600 

1881 

335,100 

1882 

420,300 

1883 

306,300 

1884 

326,100 

1885 

284,200 

1886 

369,100 

1887 

340,000 

Total 


23,000 
133,600 
165,000 
198,800 
230,300 
234,100 
180,100 
154,600 
155,900 
133,800 
200,000 
230,700 
202,400 
205,600 
256,400 
290,700 
335,900 
302,700 
329,200 
340,300 
448,900 
413,900 
367,800 
381,100 
499,200 
549,300 
682,500 
607,100 
729,200 
606,300 
692,400 
669,800 
731,200 
984,200 
1,059,100 
835,600 
800,600 
751,600 
906,900 
871,100 


Domestic  Trade 


Steam 


1,000 
5,000 
10,000 
12,000 
13,000 
15,000 
16,000 
14,000 
17,000 
20,000 
18,000 
21,000 
35,000 
40,000 
41,300 
38,000 
42,000 
50,000 
64,200 
90,600 
101,000 
119,200 
149,500 
156,500 
159,200 
162,000 
192,700 
257,700 
282,300 
260,700 
256,500 
255,600 
254,000 
390,800 
430,400 
436,800 
422,400 
435,600 
404,400 
510,000 


Total 


Combined  Trade 


Steam 


27,000 
259,000 
325,000 
314,000 
310,000 
324,900 
302,500 
337,500 
287,500 
291,600 
272,700 
365,900 
335,400 
389.000 
381,500 
368,000 
403,500 
387,200 
411,000 
575,200 
640,500 
757,100 
681,900 
694,000 
733,700 
740,800 
859,600 
974,800 
1,069,700 
1,019,200 
954,900 
933,300 
927,200 
1,072,000 
1,208,600 
1,191,400 
1,145,700 
1,156,500 
1,053,900 
1,085,000 


1,000 
18,600 
40,000 
74,800 
83,300 
98,400 
95,000 
88,600 
88,800 
68,700 
118,500 
143,700 
137,300 
123,300 
176,300 
186,300 
213,900 
201,900 
222,400 
274,100 
357,100 
325,100 
311,200 
343,300 
355,400 
378,500 
460,600 
541,800 
554,800 
539,100 
542,900 
547,400 
552,600 
725,900 
850,700 
743,100 
748,500 
739,800 
773,500 
850,000 


Total 


50,000 
392,600 
490,000 
512,800 
540,300 
559,000 
482,600 
492,100 
443,400 
425,400 
472,700 
596,600 
537,800 
594,600 
637,900 
658,700 
739,400 
689,900 
740,200 
915,500 
1,089,400 
1,171,000 
1,049,700 
1,075,100 
[1,233,900 
!l,290,100 
1,542,100 
1,581,900 
1,798,900 
1,625,500 
1,647,300 
1,603,100 
1,658,400 
2,056,200 
2,267,700 
2,027,000 
1,946,300 
1,908,100 
1,960,800 
1,956.100 


212 


San  Francisco's  Ocean  Trade — Past  and  Future 


OCEAN  TONNAGE  ARRIVALS— Continued 


Calendar 

Foreigi 

1  Trade 

Domest 

ic  Trade 

Combine 

id  Trade 

Years 

Steam 

Total 

Steam 

Total 

Steam 

Total 

1888 

350,000 

952,400 

525,000 

1,112,300 

875,000 

2,064,700 

1889 

390,800 

1,062,900 

520,000 

1,119,800 

910,800 

2,282,700 

1890 

400,000 

981,500 

636,000 

1,144,300 

1,036,000 

2,125,800 

1891 

517,500 

1,364,800 

648,000 

1,172,900 

1,165,500 

2,537,700 

1892 

464,600 

1,137,700 

642,000 

1,181,600 

1,106,600 

2,319,300 

1893 

522,900 

1,076,400 

763,000 

1,160,600 

1,385,900 

2,237,000 

1894 

533,900 

1,051,900 

791,000 

1,186,200 

1,324,900 

2,238,100 

1895 

551,900 

1,188,400 

784,000 

1,164,400 

1,335,900 

2,352,800 

1896 

651,400 

1,292,600 

862,500 

1,208,600 

1,513,900 

2,501,200 

1897 

510,700 

1,092,700 

960,000 

1,246,100 

1,470,700 

2,338,800 

1898 

562,700 

1,038,500 

1,032,000 

1,354,400 

1,614,700 

2,392,900 

1899 

67o,U00 

1,142,600 

1,000,000 

1,294,600 

1,673,000 

2,937,200 

1900 

847,400 

1,430,100 

1,040,000 

1,365,000 

1,887,400 

2,795,100 

1901 

950,000 

1,511,400 

1,080,000 

1,396,300 

2,030,000 

2,907,700 

1902 

868,400 

1,523,300 

1,276,000 

1,471,400 

2,144,400 

2,994,700 

1903 

1,015,800 

1,604,200 

1,423,300 

1,812,300 

2,828,100 

3,143,100 

1904 

884,000 

1,307,900 

1,511,100 

1,825,000 

2,395,100 

3,132,900 

1905 

960,000 

1,329,700 

1,563,500 

2,250,200 

2,523,500 

3,579,900 

1906 

1,184,400 

1,432,800 

1,965,300 

2,460,400 

2,949,700 

3,893,200 

1907 

1,317,400 

1,508,500 

1,950,800 

2,752,300 

3,268,200 

4,260,800 

1908 

1,471,000 

1,745,600 

1,979,600 

2,764,100 

3,450,600 

4,509,700 

1909 

1,265,300 

1,464,500 

2,073,100 

2,904,300 

3,338,400 

4,368,800 

1910 

1,604,300 

1,780,300 

2,206,800 

3,059,600 

3,871,100 

4,839,900 

1911 

1,142,500 

1,162,100 

2,707,100 

2,945,400 

3,849,600 

4,107,500 

NOTE — Totals  for  1911  covers  only  first  eight  months.  It  is  safe 
to  add  50  per  cent  to  those  totals  for  the  first  eight  months  to  cover  the 
entire  year  of  1911. 

To  make  comparisons  complete,  tonnage  arrivals  from  the  Hawaiian 
Islands  since  annexation  have  been  credited  to  the  foreign  trade  as  previ- 
ously, while  the  tonnage  represented  by  the  American-Hawaiian  steamers 
via  Mexico  since  1908  has  been  credited  to  the  domestic  trade  as  previously. 


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